Background
Georges Lemmen was born on November 25, 1865 in Schaerbeek, Belgium, into the family of an architect.
designer draftsman engraver painter
Georges Lemmen was born on November 25, 1865 in Schaerbeek, Belgium, into the family of an architect.
For a short period, he studied at the school of drawing in St. Josse-ten-Noode under Amedee Bourson.
Georges Lemmen was invited in 1889 to join the Cercle des XX group in Belgium and was a vital member of Les XX (the Twenty) which had been launched in 1884 by Oscar Maus. The Cercle dex XX was reborn in 1894 as La Libre Esthetique. He worked with luminaries of the time such as Gustave de Smet and his brother Leon.
Lemmen had emerged as a powerful force in Belgian artistic circles, not least by bringing the work of artists such as Seurat and Signac to wider public attention. Greatly influenced by the Pointilliste works of Georges Seurat, Lemmen loved the experimental novelty of ‘colour theory’ and the scientific approach to color brought to the art world by the theorist Charles Henry in the late 1870s. His work was a tour de force of Pointilliste brushwork and showed the dexterity and patience with which Georges Lemmen worked.
It was in the early days of the Cercle des XX that Lemmen espoused the pointillist technique. His earlier painting was clearly influenced by the Neo-Impressionists, over time, however, his style became more subtle and nuanced – recalling the work of Van Rysselberghe (another member of the Cercle des XX). With the re-launch in 1894, Lemmen’s work became more intimate in character, most notably in his portraits, nudes, and still lifes, where the influence of Vuillard and Bonnard was unmistakable.
From 1911 onwards he would make a major contribution to the renewal of the graphic and decorative arts in terms of his input to the new free aesthetic and to Art Nouveau. Although his draughtsmanship retained its essential purity and elegance of line, his painting became more fleshy, imprecise and sensual.
In 1908 Lemmen created a new printing font while cooperating on the publication of an edition of Frederich Nietzche’s "Also Sprach Zarathustra." He continued his involvement in publishing, working as an illustrator for several periodicals, illustrating a number of books and contributing critical reviews to the periodical Art Moderne.
Between 1889 and 1893 Lemmen exhibited at the Salon des Independents in Paris, aligning himself with the Neo-Impressionists. In 1893, Henry van de Velde invited him to participate at the Pour l’Art association that had been created in Antwerp. He traveled to the South of France in 1911. By that time he had already exhibited twice at the Galerie Druet in Paris, and he had a further exhibition in Brussels in 1913.
The artist died in Ukkel on July 15, 1916. His wide-ranging work includes several book illustrations, drawings, posters, ceramics and tapestries. Georges Lemmen is currently represented in many major public and private collections including the Musee Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique in Brussels and the Musee D’Orsay in Paris.
Beach at Heist
Vase of Flowers
Julie Lemmen Sleeping in an Armchair
Rooftops
Profile of a Young Boy
Girl with Doll
Hat with a Red Ribbon
Self-Portrait
The Two Sisters
Sitting Nude on Chair
Family Gathering in Saint Idesbald
Two Women in the Garden
Sleep
Poster for La Maison Moderne, Paris
Picking Fruit
Young Woman Sewing
Carnival the Carousel
Houses at La Hulpe
Little Pierre
Man Reading
Flowers and Apples
La modiste
Portrait of Mme Lemmen
Madame Georges Lemmen
Exhibition poster for La Libre Esthétique
View of the Thames
Young Bather
Portrait of the Artist's Sister
Georges Lemmen adhered to the artistic traditions of Post-Impressionism and Art Nouveau.
In 1888 Georges joined the avant-garde group Les Vingt in Brussels. In 1889 he was invited to join the Cercle des XX group in Belgium and was a vital member of "The Twenty" which had been launched in 1884 by Oscar Maus.
