Gaston Bertrand

Gaston Bertrand (1910 - 1994) is a painter, Dessinateur and Belgian engraver .

Biography

Born with Wonck-on-Geer (currently amalgamated with Bassenge, Province of Liege), of a mother Dutchwoman and a Belgian father, it was obliged to earn its very young living.

While exerting various small trades, he learns the rudiments from the drawing during the evening at the Saint-Luc School of Brussels (1927 - 1931) and starting from 1933, with the Académie of Brussels (course of Henri Van Haelen and Anto-Chart), then with the Academy of Saint-Jose-ten-Noode (1932 - 1937, course of Henri Ottevaere and G.Fontaine). There, it binds friendship with Anne Bonnet and Louis Van Lint. All three take part, in 1938, with “Young Art”, exposure organized by C. Pry to the Gallery Atrium.

In 1937, Gaston Bertrand receives the third purse of the Prix of Rome thanks to which it remains one month with Paris, the following year. In 1939, he is the cofounder of the transitory group “the Free Road” which organizes only one exposure to Brussels in March 1940. He is also cofounder of the group “Contribution” in which he takes part regularly.

In May 1942, during its first personal exposure, it presents a whole of works which correctly translates its will of originality and creativity. In 1944, 1946, 1949, the Apollo Gallery devotes a monographic exposure to him.

Member-founder of the group “Young Belgian Painting” in July 1945 (with its sides, inter alia, Anne Bonnet, Louis Van Lint, OJ Delahaut, Marc Mendelson, Rene Barbaix, etc), it takes part in all the exposures of the group. He is one of the most original figures. In 1950, the architect Jacques Dupuis builds to him a workshop with the daring design in a corner of Uccle where he will live during thirty-four years. After beginnings in the painting of kind (of the interiors intimists), it begins a slow process of decantation of reality for keeping of it soon only essence, some lines strongly meaning, sober and refined, associated with great coloured zones (oil-base paint or watercolour). Each work seems to be an architectural composition whose balance is due to a minimal representation, that is for a portrait ( the Man with the Jabot , 1964, Brussels, M.R.B.A.B.) or for a sight of the Parisian subway. Never, it will rock in the abstraction as other members of the Young Belgian Painting did it.

In 1987, it is elected member of the Class of the Art schools of the royal Académie of Belgium. In 1989, the Foundation Gaston Bertrand is born to ensure the promotion and the conservation of its works. In 1994, this figure major of Belgian art disappears.

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