Portret van een jonge schilder, 1949

Jean-Jacques Gailliard’s interest in spirituality, esotericism and theology ensured great freedom and variation in his art. Exuberant colours are a constant in his oeuvre. Rough areas of colour and lines run through the different planes. The perspective and proportions are subject to this rhythm. A young artist stands at his easel and draws a full-length female nude. Gailliard never completely broke with real life, continuing to refer to recognizable reality. His colour scheme here is reminiscent of the legacy of Impressionism.

In 1929, Gailliard received a contract at Walter Schwarzenberg’s gallery Le Centaure. After that, he exhibited regularly in Brussels. Le Centaure closed its doors in 1931, plagued by the global crisis and financial malaise. The Schwarzenberg collection was sold publicly at knock-down prices at the Galerie Georges Giroux (GGG).

• This work is part of the museum’s main collection. It was included in the inventory of the donation from Jules and Irma Dhondt-Dhaenens that was compiled at the board meeting on 19.04.1969.