A Spring Landscape, Jespers Floris, Antwerp 1889 - 1965, Belgian Painter

A Spring Landscape

Jespers Floris
Antwerp 1889 – 1965
Belgian Painter
Signature: Signed bottom left and dated 43

Dimensions: Image size 42 x 61 cm, frame size 55,50 x 74 cm
Medium: Oil on canvas

Biography: Jespers Floris was born on March 18 in 1889 in Antwerp into an artistic family. His father Emile Jespers was a sculptor. He was a Belgian Avant-garde painter. Together with his older brother Oscar, he went to the Antwerp Academy of Fine Art at an early age. Oscar became a sculptor and Floris a painter.
For some time, the brothers had earned their living by making music. Floris played the cello. They performed in music-halls and theatres. During one of their performances Floris met poet and writer Paul Van Ostaijen (1896 – 1928), who brought him into contact with international modernist art movements. The Antwerp poet formed with Jespers, his brother Oscar and painter Paul Joostens (1889 – 1960) one of the first modernist groups in Belgium.
Until 1917 in terms of his colour palette and his themes his work shows much resemblance to that of Rik Wouters (1882 – 1916).
In 1918 there is a radical change, Cubist elements made their appearance. In the early 1920’s he began to paint abstract works, but the figurative remains dominan and produced his most important works with highlights such as “Adam and Eve” (1924), “The Game of Chess” (1926), “Bonjour Ostend” (1927), “Salut”, “Messieurs” (1927).
In all his paintings Jespers was always able to preserve a certain authenticity and originality. He died on April 16 in 1965 in his hometown. Today, his paintings can be found in private and public collections.