Marcel Delmotte
The oldest artist in the Lakeside Collection, Marcel Delmotte was born in the Belgian town of Charleroi known for its mining and manufacturing industry. After his training at the Université de Travail in Charleroi between 1914 and 1919, he worked in a variety of techniques such as sculpture, paintings, and drawings. He was strongly influenced by the Major Old Masters such as Caravaggio, Poussin, David, and the Renaissance Era. That is why his works were heavily inspired by themes such as Greek mythology and divine comedy. He avoided classifying himself with a style, although by critics he was mostly associated with surrealism, futurism, and modernism. He developed a technique called “grattage’’, using knife scars in the painting like Max Ernst also did. Due to his choice of colors and forms, his works are often considered both disturbing and impressive. He died in 1984, as one of the most influential artists in Belgium.
