Everard Larock, known as Evert (21 May 1865 – 13 January 1901) was a Belgian

Impressionist Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passag ...

painter Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ...

who belonged to the

Secessionist Secession is the withdrawal of a group from a larger entity, especially a political entity, but also from any organization, union or military alliance. Some of the most famous and significant secessions have been: the former Soviet republics l ...

art group An art group or artist group, sometimes also an artist collective, describes itself as an open or fixed association of artists to a group with a name. Founders and initiators of artist groups are mostly well-known artists, around whom similarly thin ...

s ''Als ik Kan'' and ''De XIII''.The Society of Jan Frans Simons: Biography and appreciation of Larock
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Life and work

Larock was born in

Kapelle-op-den-Bos Kapelle-op-den-Bos () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the towns of Kapelle-op-den-Bos proper, Nieuwenrode and Ramsdonk. On January 1, 2006, Kapelle-op-den-Bos had a total populati ...

. After much pleading, his father (a veterinarian) finally agreed to let him attend evening classes in drawing at the municipal academy in

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 ...

. His success there led to evening classes at the

Royal Academy of Fine Arts (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 Younge ...

while he worked in the studios of a decorative artist named Henri Verbuecken during the day. During his military duty in 1884, he was diagnosed with

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in w ...

and was exempted from any further service. He began taking day classes at the Academy, spending his evenings working and studying with

Charles Verlat Charles Verlat or Karel Verlat (25 November 182423 October 1890) was a Belgian painter, watercolorist, engraver (printmaker), art educator and director of the Antwerp Academy. He painted many subjects and was particularly known as an animalie ...

, where he first made contact with

Frans Hens Frans Hens (1 August 1856, Antwerp – 11 May 1928, Antwerp) was a Belgian post-impressionist painter, draftsman and printmaker. He was one of the first European artists to paint in Sub-Saharan Africa. Life and work Hens was born in Antwerp an ...

Alexander Struys Alexander Theodore Honoré Struys (24 January 1852, Berchem – 25 March 1941, Uccle) was a Belgian genre and portrait painter in the Realistic style. Biography Struys' father (originally from Holland) was a master glass painter. At the age of s ...

and other members of ''De XIII''. Despite his illness (and with the help of his friends), he managed to exhibit widely throughout

Northern Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North, a point in direction * Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe * Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States * Northern Province, Sri Lanka * Northern Range, a ...

and

Central Europe Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the ...

, and began to attract positive critical attention. The first meeting of the Belgian artists' group ''Kunst van Heden'' ("The Art of Today") in 1901 was essentially a tribute to his work. He was an early advocate of

plein air ''En plein air'' (; French for 'outdoors'), or ''plein air'' painting, is the act of painting outdoors. This method contrasts with studio painting or academic rules that might create a predetermined look. The theory of 'En plein air' painting ...

painting and was influenced by the bright color scheme of

Impressionism Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passa ...

, but usually chose subjects that were more naturalistic in character. When he became too ill to work he entered a

sanatorium A sanatorium (from Latin '' sānāre'' 'to heal, make healthy'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, are antiquated names for specialised hospitals, for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments and convalescence. Sanatoriums are ofte ...

, but stayed for only a short time, preferring to die in his home town of Kapelle-op-den-Bos.

Selected paintings

File:Spinster-Larock.jpg, ''The Spinster'' File:Larockt-The Idiot.jpg, ''The Idiot'' (1892) File:Zonnebad-Larock.jpg, ''Sunbathing'' File:Evert Larock001.jpg, ''The Cinder Picker'' (1900)

References

External links

Evert Larock @ Cultured.com

ArtNet: Works by Larock

Gazet van Antwerpen
Evert Larock exhibition in

Heist-op-den-Berg Heist-op-den-Berg () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises Heist-op-den-Berg proper (including the hamlets: Heist-Goor, Heist-Station, Zonderschot, Heist-Centrum and Bruggeneinde), the villages o ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Larock, Evert 1865 births 1901 deaths 19th-century Belgian male artists 19th-century Belgian painters Belgian male painters 20th-century deaths from tuberculosis Belgian Impressionist painters Tuberculosis deaths in Belgium

Life and work

Selected paintings

References

Further reading

External links