Salon bij Georges Giroux, 1912

Rik Wouters (1882-1916) was one of the first Belgian artists to have a permanent contract with the Brussels Galerie Georges Giroux (GGG). This brought financial peace to him and his beloved wife Nel Duerinckx.

Roughly painted areas of colour alternate with unpainted pieces of canvas. The happiness emanating from his use of colour and style is in stark contrast to his life, plagued by poverty and illness.

Salon bij Georges Giroux was previously in the collection of François Franck (1872-1932), co-founder of Kunst van Heden, an association of visual artists and patrons in Antwerp.

• 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 03.06.1967.