Albert Baertsoen

Exhibition at MSK, Ghent, 3 September - 27 November 2022

Around 1900, the painter, draughtsman and watercolourist Albert Baertsoen (1866-1922) was internationally renowned for his muted and melancholic impressions of his native Ghent. He was able to express the fin de siècle malaise in a meaningful way and was soon considered the artist par excellence of the 'dead city', a theme that was also very present in the literature of the time.

However, the 'Ghent painter', an honorary title awarded by his contemporaries, was also admired for his work in cities such as Bruges, Nieuwpoort, Veere, Amsterdam and London. He was also appreciated as an engraver on the international scene.

This exhibition catalogue reveals for the first time the complex creative process behind Baertsoen's work. In order to highlight the specificity of his work and the similarities with other artists, his works are presented alongside those of contemporaries, including Emile Claus, James Ensor, Henri Le Sidaner and Théo Van Rysselberghe. Various contributions also portray him as a well-informed intermediary in the exhibition world and as a generous personality who had an impressive international network and counted among his friends the most important Belgian and foreign artists of his time.