Martha Van Coppenolle

Her early work leaned strongly towards the Russian Avant-Garde Movement, although she would equally be at ease, creating very colourful and detailed fairy tale illustrative motifs, for certain nursery rhymes when needed. Aside from illustrating, she was equally involved in creating graphic design, ceramic sculptures, oil paintings and furniture design concepts. In the later stages of her life, she gained international recognition as a stained glass artist.

• Name — Martha Van Coppenolle • Born — 13 April 1912 • Birthplace — Merksem • Died — 22 September 2004 • Place of death — Antwerp • Resting Place — Cemetery of Berchem • Education — Technical Institute for Applied and Decorative Arts-Sint Maria • Style — Russian Avant-Garde • Spouse — Herman De Meester • Awards — Gold medal from the City of Antwerp

Martha Van Coppenolle was born in Merksem (Antwerp) Belgium, on 13 April 1912. She was the first daughter of Octaaf Van Coppenolle and Helena Van Immerzeel. As of the early age of seven, she became fascinated by art in all its forms and at the age of fourteen, she created her first oil on canvas painting. Though unfinished, the painting is supposedly a mirrored self-portrait. In 1927, she painted her second canvas, a still-life flower arrangement. Van Coppenolle was mainly influenced by her contemporary artist friends. However, she had a particular preference towards most of the British Pre-Raphaelite painters and illustrators of that period, together with the current wave of Avant-Gardism sweeping the continent at that time.

As of 1914, Van Coppenolle and her mother fled to London England, in order to avoid World War One's atrocities on the Belgian battlefield, where her father was an Officer in the Army. In 1915 while still in London, her sister Maria was born. Upon their return to Belgium in 1917, Martha immediately continued her schooling and passion for art. During the 1930s, she became briefly and moderately involved with the Flemish National Movement, therefore designing mainly for the Vlaamsche Boekenweek and Het Boek van Vlaanderen in 1936. Furthermore, she was responsible for creating the prestigious six-part series about the history of Flanders, published by the Standaard Boekhandel. In 1943 she married Herman De Meester, a Secretary for the Government of Belgium.

In the 1960s her work became more varied, using artistic media such as plaster and ceramic sculptures, textile designs and hundreds of Neon-Sign advertising panels in pastel-chalks on black board (in order to show fluorescence). She also taught and lectured for many years at the Sint Maria Institute, where she had studied during the 1930s. In the 1950s and 60's she was also an Award-winning member of the SCM Small Film Club in Mortsel, where she produced many 8 and 16 mm. films, for which she received several medals. Her output during her later days included stained-glass windows, which she produced in varying sizes. Most of these were created after an extensive study at The Academy of Fine Arts in Berchem-Antwerp. Her stained glass windows were sold locally, and also in the USA and in Canada.

In 2007, a complete biography on the Life and Work of Martha Van Coppenolle - Book Illustrator was written in Dutch by Miss Karen Joly, a 3rd degree Bachelor of Arts and Sciences, for the University of Leuven. Several other references concerning Martha Van Coppenolle are to be found on various Internet websites and the World Wide Web.