Paul Smolders was born in the small Belgian town of Oostmalle in 1921and while still a young child took painting lessons from the great Belgian Impressionist painter Frans Van Giel. Although Smolders showed considerable precocious talent as an artist, he chose to initially follow an academic path and studied German history and language. The war seemed to have cooled his ardor for German studies and so in 1945 he enrolled at the prestigious Academy of Antwerp to study painting. Here he soon blossomed and followed the technical and stylistic trends of his teachers, Julien Creytens and Isidore Opsomer. He remained at the Academy until 1948 when he transferred to the Nationaal Hoger Instituut voor Schone Kunsten also in Antwerp. Completing his studies in 1950 he established a studio and commenced painting professionally. He was fascinated with the human form and particularly the relationship between parents and their children. For much of his life he painted young people, frequently children with their mothers in a delicate yet not overly sentimental manner. His work became immensely popular and was often used for advertising and publication purposes. His paintings were avidly collected in his home country and were even acquired for the nation as part of the Royal Belgian Collection.
Lit; E. Benezit
Arto
P. Piron
‘Paul Smolders’ – M. Van Jole
