Willem Albracht (1861 – 1922) was a Belgian painter

Biography

Willem Albracht son of Adolph Bernhard Albracht and Anna Wilhelmina Robart, was a painter of portraits, interiors and landscapes, born in

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

in 1861, died in Berchem-lez-Anvers in 1922. He was a student at the

Academy of Antwerp The Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp ( nl, Koninklijke Academie voor Schone Kunsten van Antwerpen) is an art academy located in Antwerp, Belgium. It is one of the oldest of its kind in Europe. It was founded in 1663 by David Teniers the Young ...

and worked in the studio of

Charles Verlat Charles Verlat or Karel Verlat (25 November 182423 October 1890) was a Belgium, Belgian painter, watercolorist, engraver (printmaker), Visual arts education, art educator and director of the Antwerp Academy. He painted many subjects and was par ...

(1824 – 1890). Traveled in particular in Holland and in Germany. In 1883, he was one of the founders of the “Als ick Kan” circle which gathered young artists seeking to create exhibitions in Belgium and neighboring countries . From this date, he exhibits regularly in Belgium, Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent,

Mechelen Mechelen (; french: Malines ; traditional English name: MechlinMechelen has been known in English as ''Mechlin'', from where the adjective ''Mechlinian'' is derived. This name may still be used, especially in a traditional or historical contex ...

, Liège,

Namur Namur (; ; nl, Namen ; wa, Nameur) is a city and municipality in Wallonia, Belgium. It is both the capital of the province of Namur and of Wallonia, hosting the Parliament of Wallonia, the Government of Wallonia and its administration. Namu ...

, Louvain and Mons. In 1911, the painter had his own home designed in eclectic style in Zurenborg district, where numerous artists and architects took up residence. Until then Albracht lived at 117 Mechelsesteenweg in Antwerp. He chose Hendrik Van Leemputten as architect. Many of his works appeared in several museums and public collection as

Rijksmuseum The Rijksmuseum () is the national museum of the Netherlands dedicated to Dutch arts and history and is located in Amsterdam. The museum is located at the Museum Square in the borough of Amsterdam South, close to the Van Gogh Museum, the St ...

and exhibitions in Berlin, from 1891 to 1896 or museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp that owns: “The old laboratory of the charity office in Antwerp” (1889) and “The old pharmacy of the office of charity in Antwerp ”(1889).

Artwork

Albracht was able to deal with the classic themes of painters of the Dutch Golden Age, in particular interiors, with a dense and pasty brushstroke which, however, in its dynamism not only cares for detail but demonstrates great sensibility to the effects of light on colors.L'art flamand: Les artistes contemporains, Jules Dujardin A. Boitte, 1900

Works

* ''Portrait of an unknown boy'' etching, signed, Rijksmuseum * ''The geographer'' oil on panel, signed * ''Couple in conversation'' oil on panel, signed * ''Tavern scene with eel fisherman'' oil on panel, signed * ''The garden of the poors'' oil on panel, signed and dated 1887

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Albracht, Willem 1861 births 1922 deaths 19th-century Belgian painters Belgian male painters 19th-century Belgian male artists Painters from Antwerp Belgian etchers Flemish genre painters Royal Academy of Fine Arts (Antwerp) alumni Academic staff of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts (Antwerp) Place of death missing