Gustave FLASSCHOEN 'The Battle of In - Rahr' orientalist painting wash drawing, 1900

Born in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean on May 20, 1868, he died in Brussels on September 3, 1940. He was a renowned Belgian watercolor painter, draughtsman and graphic artist of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

He specialized in landscapes and genre scenes, as well as rural and natural subjects, following the example of the great Flemish masters. He trained at the Molenbeek Academy of Fine Arts with F. Stroobant between 1887 and 1890. Early in his career, he designed posters, including his most famous, La femme, commissioned for the creation of the Compagnie du Zoute in 1909.

Between 1912 and 1914, the artist travelled the roads of Europe, Russia and Argentina. His meeting with journalist Gerard Harry gave rise to a major part of his artistic output, illustrating popular magazines (L'Illustration, Le Globe Illustré, etc.) and newspapers (La Dernière Heure, Le Petit Bleu). His national success brought him to the attention of major French newspapers in Paris. When photogravure replaced illustration, he devoted himself fully to painting. During the interwar period, his style evolved towards a realism imbued with Impressionism. Elegant lines and a vivid color palette. It was a total immersion in Orientalism that he successfully produced.
His trips to Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia were bohemian affairs, in contact with the local population. "To paint well, you need to know a country well. Many artists, tempted by the gleaming colors of these regions not yet subject to the standardized customs of Europe, after spending two or three weeks on vacation, bring back paintings of dull banality, overused layout, easy colors and effects". This was the artist's response to his critics, who accused him of literary exaggerations or studio work.