- Maurice van Essche
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Maurice Charles Louis van Essche Born 4 October 1906
Antwerp, BelgiumDied 12 June 1977
Thonon, FranceOccupation Artist Spouse Lucette Josz Children Ludovic Henri Marie van Essche Maurice van Essche (4 October 1906, Antwerp, Belgium - 12 June 1977, Thonon, France) was a major South African artist and art teacher who achieved national and international recognition in his lifetime.
Maurice van Essche
Contents
Life
Maurice van Essche was born 1906, in Antwerp, Belgium, the seventh of eleven children, of whom only eight survived infancy. The family was French-speaking despite its flemish roots; his mother's maiden name was De Ridder. He studied art at the Brussels Academy in 1924 under James Ensor, but halted his studies in 1925 for lack of funding, first working in a stained glass studio, then designing wallpaper – both of which experiences are actively reflected in many of his works. He also worked as a freelance cartoonist, but painted all the while. In 1933 he studied briefly under Henri Matisse in France (see Anecdotes), having met him by chance in a artist's supply shop in Cagnes, France. Thereafter he continued to paint and study full time thanks to the sponsorship of his elder brother, Joseph Charles, and a group of friends.
His break came in July 1939 when he won a scholarship in a competition organized by the Belgian Government, who commissioned him to undertake a painting expedition to the Belgian Congo. His travels and experiences there influenced him profoundly, and the visions and emotions of that period echoed through his work for the rest of his life. In 1940 his wife Lucette (née Josz, 1908-1997) and son Ludovic (1935 - ) fled German occupation of Belgium and joined him in the Congo. Lucette could not cope with tropical conditions and they moved to the relatively milder climate of the South African cape rather than return to war-torn Europe.
Early days in South Africa were hard, and on occasion van Essche traded paintings and drawings for food and other essentials. But he soon became a prominent member of the South African art community, exhibiting locally and later in Europe as well. As an active member of The New Group he contributed strongly to contemporary art in South Africa. He had a solid knowledge of both modern art trends and the history of European painting which he imparted in his role as teacher, a profession he regarded as equally important as creating. He taught at the Wits Technical Art School from 1943 to 1945. In 1948 he founded the Continental School of Art in Cape Town, leaving in 1952 to become a lecturer at the Michaelis School of Fine Art at the University of Cape Town. He was appointed Professor of Fine Art in 1962 (see Anecdotes) and his success as a teacher is attested to by the amount of his former pupils who have become prominent artists themselves.
van Essche retired from academia in 1971, but continued to paint prolifically, despite poor health, including several heart attacks. He travelled in Europe and eventually settled near Thonon, France, at his wife's behest. Too ill to travel, he could not attend his own retrospective exhibition in Cape Town in 1973. He missed Africa terribly, painting African scenes while searching in vain for local inspiration. His new themes included hippies and musicians, but he destroyed much of this work. His European landscapes from this period are dark and depressed, in stark contrast to the vibrant african scenes that flowed nonetheless. His oils continued to sell well in South Africa, and his reputation grew. He succumbed to a heart attack in June 1977 following a fall, and poor medical care.
Art
van Essche's work exhibits contrasting influences, both artistic and environmental. From delicate renditions of the diffused tones of Flanders, to powerful depictions of Africa's landscapes, people and sun, van Essche conveys unmistakeable moods and a realism that is both beautifully poetic and strikingly honest. "There must be blood in my painting... I must remain human at all costs," he wrote to his friend Baron Robert d'Huart in 1961.
Awards
Maurice van Essche was awarded the Medal for Lifetime Achievement by the South African Academy for Science and Art (date to be confirmed)
Anecdotes
Relationship with Henri Matisse: Maurice van Essche met Henri Matisse when buying paint in an artists' supply shop in 1933 in Cagnes, in the south of France. van Essche had just purchased the last tube of Lemon Yellow when Matisse entered the store and asked the clerk for the same article. On recognizing the famous man, van Essche offered him the tube of paint. Matisse declined, but touched by the gesture invited van Essche to visit his studio. They formed a strong friendship and Matisse coached the young artist while in Cagnes, and later again in Paris.
Resemblance to Le Corbusier: On his visits to Paris before and after the war, van Essche frequented many well-known contemporary artists and architects of the time. Due to some similarities in appearance, and especially the style of glasses both men wore, he was often mistaken for Le Corbusier, much to his delight and amusement. It is unknown whether the two ever met.
As Professor of Fine Art at the University of Cape Town van Essche shared the position of Dean of Art and Architecture on an annual rotating basis with William Leonard Thornton WHITE, referred to by colleagues and friends as Thornton-White, until Thornton-White's death in 1965.
Gallery
Bibliography
- van Essche, by Carl Buchner, 1967, Tafelberg, Cape Town, South Africa
External links
References
Categories:- South African artists
- 1906 births
- 1977 deaths
- White South African people
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