BRUSSELMANS, JEAN

(1884-1953)

   Painter Jan Brusselmans was born in Brussels on 13 June 1884. Originally an engraver and lithographer, he gravitated toward painting after 1904, studying at the Académie royale des Beaux-Arts. His earliest works (1900-1912) exhibited features of both realism and impressionism. The years from 1912 to 1920 are characterized as his fauvism period, when the artist's work reflected the influence of friends such as Rik Wouters and Fernand Schnurren. After 1920 he developed a distinctly personal style marked by geometric compositions employing, most notably, large color spaces. He died in Dilbeek on 9 January 1953.