Ernest Wijnants
Pedestal in ebonized wood
Further images
As painter and sculptor, Ernest Wijnants (Belgian, 1878 - 1964) is considered to have been a great promoter of the so called "taille directe" (technique for sculpting directly into material) in wood, stone and bronze. He glorified the feminine beauty in nudes, busts, exotic and mythological figures. He was influenced by the exotic, Egyptian and gothic styles, sometimes baroque art.
He created monuments, monumental murals and figures. He worked in a neo-gothic style until the age of 36. From this point, he evolved towards a more expressionist style.
Between 1921 and 1931, his art was rather static, more inclined toward a kind of decorative-Mannerist style.
Between 1932-1964, his work was characterized by monumentality without any excrescence.
Works by him can also be found in the collection of museums in Amsterdam, Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent, Etterbeek, Liège and Washington D.C.
Exhibitions
This particular work (on the far right on the picture below) was exhibited during the retrospective in 1930 on the art fair Salon du Cercle du Bon Vouloir
Literature
E.; Engelen-Marx; Eyckermans, L., & Van Bael, E. (eds) (1964), Ernest Wijnants (ex. cat.), Mechelen: De Eendracht; Pas, W. & G. - Arto 2000.