Permeke, Constant

Permeke, Constant 

Born July 31, 1886, in Antwerp; died Jan. 4, 1952, in Ostend. Belgian painter and a leading Belgian expressionist.

Permeke attended the art academies of Bruges and Ghent. From 1909 to 1912 he headed the second Laethem group of Belgian artists. His work is characterized by a tragic perception of life. There is an underlying mystic intensity in his artistic vision and a sense that the elemental forces of nature and blind and primitive instincts reign supreme. His landscapes, nudes, and depictions of peasants and fishermen are noted for their vibrant colors and broad brushwork; an unrestrained expressiveness of execution contrasts with a ponderous stiffness of form. His paintings include Winter in Flanders (1912; Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Antwerp), The Betrothed (1923; Museum of Modern Art, Brussels), and The Farm (1928; private collection, Brussels). From 1936, Permeke worked as a sculptor as well.

REFERENCES

Alpatov, M. V. “Peizazhi Konstantina Permeke.” In Etiudy po istorii zapadno-evropeiskogo iskusstva [2nd ed.]. [Moscow, 1963.] Pages 379–80.
Langui, E. Constant Permeke. Antwerp, 1947.
Avermaete, R. Permeke. Brussels, 1970.