"the Sambre At Charleroi" By Pierre Paulus (1881 – 1959)

Important oil on canvas attributed to Pierre Paulus (sold as attributed to him because it is unsigned, but the attribution is nonetheless beyond doubt).
Dimensions: 70 cm x 80 cm
Very good condition. This painting was recently cleaned by a professional restorer. What appear to be scratches (in the photos) are actually reflections of light on the paint layers intentionally created by the artist. On the back is a piece from a previous restoration.

Pierre Paulus (also known as Baron Pierre Paulus de Châtelet) was born in Châtelet in 1881 into a family of artists. Intended for him to study architecture by his parents, he studied at the Brussels Academy, from which he graduated, and then devoted himself to painting, his one true passion. By the age of 15, he already possessed a good command of painting. It was only around the age of 25, however, that he became the painter we remember today, the painter of the Black Country, with his industrial and industrialized natural landscapes: mines and slag heaps along the Sambre River, behind steelworks belching flames and smoke against a sunset backdrop… But his range didn't stop there. He also painted nature and people, still lifes, and scenes of daily life. He was noticed by the general public at the 1911 Charleroi Exhibition, and his reputation began to grow. During the First World War, he took refuge in London, but during his mobilization, he recorded daily life at the front. The interwar period brought him recognition in Europe and the United States. A student of Constantin Meunier, he experimented throughout his life with expressionism and pastels, as well as other art forms, including lithography and posters. He is notably responsible for the Coq Hardi, a symbol of Wallonia, a red rooster on a yellow background, commissioned by the Walloon Assembly in 1913. He was an honorary member (along with René Magritte) of the Charleroi Artistic and Literary Circle. In 1955, a major retrospective of his works was held at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels. He died in Brussels in 1959 at the age of 78.
Shipping: Secure packaging and delivery via Colissimo registered mail with insurance, for mainland France: €40 - Europe: €55. Free delivery with hand collection for Belgium and northern France.