Gustave Van de Woestyne - Eucharistic Christ

Masterart

Marketplace

Artworks

Eucharistic Christ

Back to all artworks

Gustave Van de Woestyne

Eucharistic Christ

Galerie Oscar de Vos

Date 1907

Period 1900-1910

Origin Safe

Medium Oil on canvas

Dimension 55 x 40 cm (21⁵/₈ x 15³/₄ inches)

Framed dimension 95 x 78.5 cm (37³/₈ x 30⁷/₈ inches)

In an undated letter to his friend Louis Scharpé, Van de Woestyne describes his work : "The painting is pale, very pale in tone. Jesus hangs on the cross, with joy one would say, and 'tis very early in the morning. The four fountains of salvation of His Blood sprouting from the wounds of His hands, feet and sides and 'it falls down into golden cups. 'Tis still fountains of purity upon it and behind Him an orchard standing in flower in the Spring".
It is the interpretation of the Lamb of God sacrificed for humanity.

At Latem, Gustave became acquainted with the Leuven professor, Louis Scharpé, Germanic philogy. Albijn Van den Abeele, town clerk, painter and writer invited him. As such, he longed for a literary assessment of his literary inspirations. We may say that the professor was hoping for a meeting with Karel Van de Woestijne?
From the meeting mat the Latem artists resulted a re-invitation. The two fellow painters Valerius De Saedeleer and Gustave Van de Woestyne accepted the request to visit the Dijle city. The atmosphere of the Benedictine monks on the Keizersberg must have encouraged the pious Gustave to try his hand there in 1905. His spiritual aspirations were short-lived. After a few months, he returned to his familiar Leie bends to develop his pictorial talent. The delay as a postulant left its mark on the spiritual painter. The reading of the mystic Bernardus Van Clairvaux satisfied his disposition so that his themes are religiously motivated.

The Lamb of God motif is a familiar image to a Ghent native and refers to the retable in the cathedral painted by Hubert and Jan Van Eyck. The Eucharist, a thanksgiving through the sacrament of altar, takes place in a front garden. In the centre, the innocent, meek lamb looks at the Saviour. Its flowing locks of hair lean towards the Art Nouveau style. Imaginatively, the bloody crown of thorns drips onto the downward, graceful wavy hairdo. They evoke the shoulder number, He who bears the burdens of humanity. Very curious are the hands of the crucified Chistus. "Vertically " facing the sky as if the Son of God, His Father wildly emphasising that His task is done.
Symmetrically, two by two symbolic attributes are lined up. Two leaping fountains, the source of life, spiritual power, allude to communion during the sacrifice of Mass.
A few steps lead to the background, the world with the blossoming orchard. The spring image implies magnanimity, compassion in dealing. The theme proclaims a message of salvation.

History:
Initially, in Latem, the painter sold his work to René Van Herrewege, architect, contractor, living in De Porteneerstraat in Ghent. As a maecenas, he supported his contemporaries and owned an extensive collection.

Date: 1907

Period: 1900-1910

Origin: Safe

Medium: Oil on canvas

Signature: Signed and dated top right: GUSTAVE / VAN DE WOESTYNE 1907

Dimension: 55 x 40 cm (21⁵/₈ x 15³/₄ inches)

Provenance: - René Van Herrewege, Ghent
- André Vyncke-Van Eyck, Ghent
- Galerie Vanlangenhove, Ghent
- Galerie Oscar De Vos, Sint-Martens-Latem
- Private collection, Belgium

Literature: - Borchert, T.-H., J. De Smet, J., M. Martens e.a., Van Eyck. Een optische revolutie (Gent: MSK/ Hannibal, 2020), 456-457, 497, cat.no. 19.9 (ill.).
- Boyens, P., Sint-Martens-Latem. Kunstenaarsdorp in Vlaanderen (Tielt: Lannoo, 1992), 265-266.
Boyens, P., Een zeldzame Weelde. Kunst van Latem en de Leiestreek 1900-1930, tent.cat. (Amsterdam/Gent: Ludion, 2001), 24-25, 69, 211, cat.no. 77 (ill.)
- Boyens, P., Symbolisme in Vlaanderen. De eerste generatie kunstenaars in Sint-Martens-Latem, tent.cat. (Den Bosch: Noordbrabants Museum, 2022), 70, no. 60 (ill.).
- De Geest, J. e.a., Gustave Van de Woestyne 1881-1947, tent.cat. (Deinze: MuDeL, 1997), 107, cat.no. 7 (ill.).
- Gepts, G., Gustave Van de Woestyne 1881-1947, tent.cat. (Antwerpen: KMSKA, 1981), 76, cat.no. 6 (ill.).
- Haesaerts, P., L'Ecole de Laethem-Saint-Martin (Bruxelles: Editions Formes, 1945), 162.
- Hoozee, R. & C. Verleysen, Gustave Van de Woestyne, tent.cat. (Gent: Museum voor Schone Kunsten, 2010), 62-63, cat.no. 8 (ill.).
- Langui, E., Gustave Van de Woestyne, tent.cat. (Mechelen: Cultureel Centrum, 1967), cat.no. 10.
- Pauwels, H. e.a., De eerste groep van Sint-Martens-Latem 1899-1914, tent.cat. (Brussel: Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten van België, 1988), 101, 176, cat.no. 52 (ill.).
- Pauwels, P.J.H., Als een fonkelenden spiegel (Sint-Martens-Latem: Galerie Oscar De Vos, 2019), 178 (ill.).
Schoonbaert, L., Religieuze thematiek in de Belgische Kunst 1875-1985, tent. cat. (Brussel: Galerij ASLK, 1986), 147, cat.no. 47 (ill).
- Stubbe, A., De Vlaamse schilderkunst van Van Eyck tot Permeke (Brussel/Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1953), 364-365.
- Van de Woestyne, M, R. Van den Abeele, J. D'Haese, e.a., Gustave Van de Woestyne 1881-1947, tent.cat. (Sint-Martens-Latem: Latemse Kunstkring, 1970), 24, cat.no. 13.
- Van de Woestyne, K., Gustave Van de Woestyne, tent.cat. (Brussel: Palais des Beaux-Arts, 1929), 3, cat.no. 7.
- Van den Abeele, R., G. Chabot & H. Caspeele, Latems kunstleven omstreeks 1910, exh. cat. (Sint-Martens-Latem: Gemeentehuis, 1961), no. 33.
- Van den Abeele, R., Albijn Van den Abeele (Gent: Snoeck Ducaju & Zn., 1993), 187 (ill.).
- Vanbeselaere, W., Vlaamse schilderkunst 1850-1950. Van realisme tot expressionisme, tent.cat. (Laren: Singer Museum, 1960), 39, cat.no. 112.

Exhibition: - 1929, Bruxelles, Palais des Beaux-Arts, Gustave Van de Woestyne, 02-24/03/1929, cat.no. 7.
- 1953, Gent, Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Schilderijen uit Gentse Verzamelingen, 28/03-31/05/1953.
- 1960, Laren, Singer Museum, Vlaamse schilderkunst 1850-1950. Van realisme tot expressionisme, 02/07-04/09/1960, cat.no. 112.
- 1961, Sint-Martens-Latem, Gemeentehuis, Latems kunstleven omstreeks 1910, 03-25.06.1961, cat.no. 33.
- 1967, Mechelen, Cultureel Centrum, Gustave Van de Woestyne, 02/09-15/10/1967, cat.no. 10.
- 1970, Sint-Martens-Latem, Gemeentehuis, Gustave Van de Woestyne 1881-1947, cat.no. 13.
- 1981, Antwerpen, Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Gustave Van de Woestyne 1881-1947, 13/06-13/09/1981, cat.no. 6.
- 1986, Brussel, Galerij ASLK, Religieuze thematiek in de Belgische kunst (1875-1985), 16/01-23/03/1986, cat.no. 47.
- 1988, Brussel, Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten van België, De eerste groep van Sint-Martens-Latem, 28/10-31/12/1988, cat.no. 52.
- 1997, Deinze, MuDeL, Gustave Van de Woestyne 1881-1947, 27/09-14/12/1997, cat.no. 7.
- 2001, Gent, Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Een zeldzame weelde. Kunst van Latem en Leiestreek 1900-1930, 17.06-23.09.2001, cat.no. 77.
- 2010, Gent, Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Gustave Van de Woestyne, 27/03-27/06/2010, cat.no. 8.
- 2012, Deinze, MuDeL, Ecce Homo : de Heilige Bloedprocessie van Meigem, 18/02-15/04/2012.
- 2020, Gent, Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Van Eyck. Een optische revolutie, 01/02-30/04/2020, cat.no. 19.9.