White And Pink Peonies In A Vase, Swyncop Charles, Brussels 1895 - 1970

White and Pink Peonies in Vase

Swyncop Charles
Brussels 1895 – 1970
Belgian Painter
Signature: Signed top left

Dimensions: Image size 46 x 38 cm, frame size 64 x 56 cm
Medium: Oil on canvas

Biography: Swyncop Charles was born in Brussels in 1895. Charles was a painter of landscapes, city views, seascapes, still lifes, flowers, children, genre scenes, figures (often Spanish beauties) and portraits. He was also illustrator and lithographer.
Younger brother and pupil of Philippe Swyncop. He studied at the Academy of Brussels (1908-1917 and 1919-1920)  with as teachers, J. Delville, H. Richir and Alfred Bastien. He also travelled to Rome and Venice. In Rome he studied iconography and the study of the great masters.
Also found, like his brother, inspiration in Spain. Like his brother, he painted in a lighter genre. But, unlike his brother, he used subtle, spontaneous brushstrokes such as the French Fauvists. His colourful sea views are reminiscent of the works of Henri Matisse and André Derain.
In 1920 Swyncop assisted his teacher Alfred Bastien with the panoramic painting “Panorama de l’Yser”. Other assistant painters were Charles Léonard and Jef Bonheur, also former pupils of Bastien. The work was done in what later became the mosque of the Cinquantenaire Park. From 1924 onwards, it was given a suitable panoramic building in Ostend. The canvas was severely damaged during the Second World War.
Charles Swyncop took part in a group exhibition at ‘Maison d’Art Moderne’ in Brussels in 1920 together with Jean Colin, Philippe Swyncop, Arthur Navez, Samuel Milbauer, L. Bisschops, J. Payro and Jean-Jacques Gailliard.
He received an honourable mention (third prize) on the Prize of Rome in 1920.
In the years 1922-1923 he made study trips to Spain and Italy. There he made portraits of the local population. He regularly returned to Spain.
Commissioned by the Ministry of Colonies, he painted decorative panels for the 1930 World Fair in Antwerp.
Swyncop was a member of the group ‘La Lierre’ and took part in the annual exhibitions. Other members of ‘La Lierre’ included Alfred Bastien, Julius Brouwers, Louis Clesse, Henri De Clerck, Raymond De Meester, Albert Geudens, Charles Gouweloos, Paul Masui, Jean Van Looy and Pierre Theunis.
He was a teacher at the art academy of Brussels from 1938 until his death in 1970.
Some of his works: “Child with puppets”,  “Market scene” (1917).
His paintings can be found in the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium.

Literature:
PIRON, ‘De Belgische Beeldende Kunstenaars uit de 19^de en 20^ste eeuw’, Uitgeverij Art in Belgium, p. 1270.