Post-impressionistic nude painting by the Belgian painter André Cluysenaar.
This stunning original painting by Belgian artist André Cluysenaar features a delicate nude study in the Impressionist style. Depicting a nude woman from behind, seated and engrossed in her reading, it impresses with soft brushstrokes, harmonious color schemes, and subtle lighting. The composition emphasizes both the sensuality and grace of the figure—a classic example of Cluysenaar's masterful skill in the field of nude painting.
Provenance: From family collection, authenticated on the reverse by Marjorie Cluysenaar.
About the artist:
André Cluysenaar (31 May 1872 Saint-Josse-ten-Noode - 7 April 1939 Uccle/Brussels)
André Cluysenaar came from the important Cluysenaar artistic dynasty, whose members worked as architects, sculptors, and painters for generations. His grandfather, Jean-Pierre Cluysenaar, was a well-known architect, including the Brussels Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, and his father, the renowned painter Alfred Cluysenaar (1837–1902).
Andrév Cluyssenaar studied at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, where he received a classical education.
Cluysenaar's paintings can be classified as Impressionist and Post-Impressionist. His preferred subjects were female nudes, portraits of the bourgeoisie and nobility, genre scenes, and still lifes.
His nudes, in particular, are characterized by a sensitive eye for feminine grace, atmospheric lighting, and a harmonious, often pastel-colored palette.
His technique demonstrates a sure hand and a balance between draughtsmanship and painterly freedom. His works often recall the influences of Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, and Édouard Manet. His later work, in particular, is characterized by depictions of people against an Impressionist backdrop.
Beside Belgium, Cluysenaar enjoyed great success in Great Britain, particularly in London. His marriage to Alice Gordon, granddaughter of former Prime Minister George Hamilton-Gordon, gave him access to the British upper class, where he became a sought-after society portrait painter.
He exhibited at the Royal Academy in London, the Salon de la Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts in Paris, and numerous Belgian art exhibitions. His works have found their way into private collections and public museums, including the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bruxelles.
To this day, André Cluysenaar is considered one of the most important Belgian portrait and nude painters of the turn of the century, whose work mediates between academic tradition and modern, Impressionist painting.
His works regularly appear at international auctions, including Sotheby's, Christie's, Dorotheum, and Bonhams, and are of particular interest to collectors of classical European painting.
Literature : Fanny Cluysenaar: Les Cluysenaar, une famille d'artistes. Weissenbruch, Brussels 1928. Madelaine Delacre, Marjorie Pym: André Cluysenaar, portraitiste. Edition Phototypie Ern. Thill, 1937