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 (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...

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 () 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 Younger, painter to the Archduke Leopold Wilhelm and Don Juan of ...

and worked in the studio of

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 animalier ...

(1824 – 1890). Traveled in particular in

Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former provinces of the Netherlands, province on the western coast of the Netherland ...

and in

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. In 1883, he was one of the founders of the “Als ick Kan” circle which gathered young artists seeking to create exhibitions in

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

and neighboring countries . From this date, he exhibits regularly in Belgium, Antwerp,

Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...

Ghent Ghent ( ; ; historically known as ''Gaunt'' in English) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the Provinces of Belgium, province ...

Mechelen Mechelen (; ; historically known as ''Mechlin'' in EnglishMechelen 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 context. T ...

, Liège,

Namur Namur (; ; ) is a city and municipality in Wallonia, Belgium. It is the capital both of the province of Namur and of Wallonia, hosting the Parliament of Wallonia, the Government of Wallonia and its administration. Namur stands at the confl ...

, 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 S ...

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