A childhood bout of meningitis left Eugène Laermans deaf and nearly mute, forcing an early, singular focus on the visual world. This sensory shift dictated his path as a painter, printmaker, and draftsperson in Belgium, where he chronicled the lives of laborers and the rural poor with an intensity that drew comparisons to the works of Bruegel.
Academic Training and Early Influences
Born in 1864 in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, Laermans enrolled at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in 1887. Under the tutelage of Jean-François Portaels, he developed a profound admiration for Félicien Rops. By 1890, his immersion in the writings of Charles Baudelaire led him to join the Decadent movement, producing illustrations for Les Fleurs du mal. However, by 1893, his artistic direction shifted away from the decadent style toward themes documenting downtrodden laborers.
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Laermans began exhibiting at the Salons of La Libre Esthétique in 1894. His work, including the painting End of Fall, often featured settings like the Laermansmuur in Wemmel, a site where he once rescued a drowning man.
Later Honors and Decline
His contributions to the arts were formally recognized when he became a member of the Royal Academy of Science, Letters and Fine Arts of Belgium in 1922 and was named Commander of the Order of the Crown in 1919. In 1927, King Albert granted him the title of baron. Shortly thereafter, his failing eyesight forced him to cease painting entirely. He spent his final years in reclusive obscurity until his death in 1940 within the Brussels metropolitan area.
Fast facts
- Born: 1864, Molenbeek-Saint-Jean
- Died: 1940, Brussels metropolitan area
- Occupations: Painter, printmaker, draftsperson
- Notable Work: End of Fall
- Member: Royal Academy of Science, Letters and Fine Arts of Belgium
- Title: Baron (1927)
- Buried: Molenbeek-Saint-Jean Cemetery
Questions readers ask
What event influenced the naming of the Laermansmuur?
The wall in Wemmel was named after Laermans because he saved a drowning man there while he was a student.
When did Laermans stop working as a painter?
He stopped painting after his eyesight began to fail, shortly before he was named a baron in 1927.
Achievements
- Notable work: End of Fall
