An extremely able painter of Impressionist landscapes, Louis Clesse is finally receiving the attention that his work deserves after the publication of a monograph on his life and works. He was born in Ixelles in 1889 and after a brief period studying art at the Ixelles Academy he joined the atelier of Paul Hermanus. From 1907 he started exhibiting his work at the principal Belgian Salons and was soon gaining a reputation as a painter of note. He chose to depict the countryside around Brussels for much of his work as well as traveling to northern France. Stylistically his paintings owe much to the influences of Isidor Verheyden and Franz Courtens although his technique has a slightly freer approach.
This prime example dates to around 1925 and shows Louis Clesse at his very best. The scene depicted is the port of Ostend on the coast of Belgium, it is one of only a very few marine subjects that the artist ever painted. Other examples of his painting can be seen on display at the museums of Brussels, Antwerp and Charlier as well as one housed in the Royal Collection of Belgium.
Lit; E. Benezit
Arto
P. Piron
