Albert Bockstael

Eventually his work transformed into his unique genre named by art critics: "The poetic and mystical realism of Bockstael".

• Born — 9 September 1898 • Birthplace — Anderlecht, Belgium • Died — 21 January 1945 • Place of death — Wommelgem, Belgium • Known for — Painting • Training — Royal Academy of Fine Arts

Albert Bockstael was born in 1898 in Anderlecht, a Brussels municipality. He lived several years with his grandfather, Emile Bockstael, a famous Belgian politician who was Alderman and Mayor of Laeken for almost half a century. Bockstael studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Brussels from 1915. Fellow students at that time were surrealists, René Magritte and Victor Servranckx, with whom he became friends. He painted in an expressionistic manner, which was considered by P. De Hasse to be the highlight of his mature period. This was also the period when World War I was waging and Brussels was taken over by an occupation regime. At the age of twenty Bockstael was put in civil captivity in Diest in 1918. After World War I he travelled the world for a couple of years as a sailor. At last Antwerp became his new hometown. He married Palmyre Bockstael and together they raised four children. He had his creative studio next to the Rupel, a river in Belgium. Where he could create and contemplate from a distance of the business of the city. Although his style was initially expressionistic, Bockstael developed his techniques further under the influence of surrealism and symbolism. Later on combined with realism and poetic elements. He became part of the Groupe d'Art Moderne de Liège (1920–1940), founded by his friend and poet Georges Linze. Once again peace was disturbed by World War II. Bockstael became a prisoner of war of the Nazis in Germany from May to December 1940, in Neubrandenburg, Greifswald en Altwarp. The impact of this period can be seen in much of his work. So after this war, his style developed through surrealism in a more mystical and poetic direction. His work becomes more of a celebration of daily life and freedom. This can be felt in his books like La Belle Journée. Around that period Bockstael became friends with many writers and philosophers like Achille Chavée, Moirant, Paul Neuhuys, Geert van Bruaenen en Georges-Marie Matthijs. The latter described him as "aloof prophet and idealistic painter". Bockstael began writing poems and articles for magazines with a socially critical lens, like the magazine Anthologie directed by Georges Linze and Tribune. Albert Bockstael died in 1989 at the age of 91 in Wommelgem, Antwerp.

Throughout his life, Bockstael held more than 130 exhibitions at home and abroad. Some examples: • 1951 - Exposition, La Galerie Saint-Laurent, Luik • 1974 - Rétrospective Albert Bockstael • 1978 - 7 x Antwerp, Museum for Religious Art, Ostend. • 1983 - Albert Bockstael - Master of Poetic and Mystical Realism, at Huis Hellemans, Edegem. A book, written by Bockstael himself, has also been published to accompany this exhibition.

1961 - Visiting Albert Bockstael, documentary by B.R.T.