Charles-René Callewaert

The painter Charles-René Callewaert, born in Ghent, was an outlier at the Academy, where he studied for 5 years under, among others, Jean Delvin and George Minne. His oeuvre clearly reflects the influence of the changing environments he inhabited. He wandered through the grim and often unsafe alleys of the Patershol, where he had his studio, drawing inspiration from what he saw in the streets.

De Daken shows the view from his painting room in the former Carmelite Monastery in the historic center of Ghent. Notable is the playful rhythm in the roofs, which adds movement to the otherwise deserted scene. In art criticism, he was commented on for his grim and gloomy painting style with a strangely unsettling palette.

Many of his still lifes and landscapes are bathed in a shimmering glow that falls like a veil over the scene, creating an unusual color palette. Especially the painted self-portraits give a somber and melancholic impression. His whole life, he fought against poverty and eventually died from the consequences of drug addiction.