René Guiette
Antwerp 1893 - 1976
Antwerp 1893 - 1976
René Guiette
"Sewing machine - Machine à coudre" 1944, oil on canvas, 45 x 74 cm
"Sewing machine - Machine à coudre" 1944, oil on canvas, 45 x 74 cm
René Guiette
"Still life" 1944, gouache, 45 x 56 cm
"Still life" 1944, gouache, 45 x 56 cm
Albert Saverys
Deinze 1886 - Petegem 1964
Deinze 1886 - Petegem 1964
Albert Saverys
"Still life with chicken" 1930's, oil on canvas, 88 x 116 cm
"Still life with chicken" 1930's, oil on canvas, 88 x 116 cm
Armand Permantier
Brussels 1895-1960
Surrealist painter appreciated by Magritte, Broodthaers, Colinet, Lecomte, Scutenaire, Dotremont
Brussels 1895-1960
Surrealist painter appreciated by Magritte, Broodthaers, Colinet, Lecomte, Scutenaire, Dotremont
Armand Permantier
"Metaphysical Still life with bottles" 1940's, oil on canvas, 42 x 54 cm
"Metaphysical Still life with bottles" 1940's, oil on canvas, 42 x 54 cm
Marc Mendelson
London 1915 - Brussels 2013
Founding member of "La Jeune Peinture Belge" (Young Belgian Painters 1945-48).
Works in the collections of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh.
London 1915 - Brussels 2013
Founding member of "La Jeune Peinture Belge" (Young Belgian Painters 1945-48).
Works in the collections of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh.
Marc Mendelson
"Still life with shells and jug" 1943, oil on canvas, 70 x 88 cm, monogram "M" top right
This "metaphysical" still life was exhibited in Buenos Aires (inscription at the back) in 1947
"Still life with shells and jug" 1943, oil on canvas, 70 x 88 cm, monogram "M" top right
This "metaphysical" still life was exhibited in Buenos Aires (inscription at the back) in 1947
Gaston Bertrand
Liège 1910 - Brussels 1994
Founding member of "La Jeune Peinture Belge" (Young Belgian Painters 1945-48).
Liège 1910 - Brussels 1994
Founding member of "La Jeune Peinture Belge" (Young Belgian Painters 1945-48).
Gaston Bertrand
"Interior with bed" 1944, watercolour on paper, 26,5 x 35,5 cm
"Interior with bed" 1944, watercolour on paper, 26,5 x 35,5 cm
Mig Quinet
Charleroi 1906 - Brussels 2001
Founding member of "La Jeune Peinture Belge" (Young Belgian Painters 1945-48).
Charleroi 1906 - Brussels 2001
Founding member of "La Jeune Peinture Belge" (Young Belgian Painters 1945-48).
Mig Quinet
"Table with carafe on red background - Table au carafon sur fond rouge" 1946, oil on canvas, 40 x 70 cm
"Table with carafe on red background - Table au carafon sur fond rouge" 1946, oil on canvas, 40 x 70 cm
Jan Cox
The Hague 1919 - Antwerp 1980
Founding member of "La Jeune Peinture Belge" (Young Belgian Painters 1945-48).
The Hague 1919 - Antwerp 1980
Founding member of "La Jeune Peinture Belge" (Young Belgian Painters 1945-48).
Jan Cox
"Still life with carafe" 1943, oil on canvas, 40 x 50 cm
Exhibited at Galerie Apollo, Brussels 1945 & Group 2 Gallery, 2015
SOLD
"Still life with carafe" 1943, oil on canvas, 40 x 50 cm
Exhibited at Galerie Apollo, Brussels 1945 & Group 2 Gallery, 2015
SOLD
Antoine Mortier 1908 - 1999
Member of "La Jeune Peinture Belge" (Young Belgian Painters 1945-48).
Member of "La Jeune Peinture Belge" (Young Belgian Painters 1945-48).
Antoine Mortier
"The Products - Les Produits" 1973, oil on canvas, 65 x 92 cm
"The Products - Les Produits" 1973, oil on canvas, 65 x 92 cm
Suzanne Van Damme
Ghent 1901 - Brussels 1986
Ghent 1901 - Brussels 1986
Suzanne Van Damme
"Still life with strawberries" 1937, oil on canvas, 31 x 48 cm
"Still life with strawberries" 1937, oil on canvas, 31 x 48 cm
Bruno Capacci
Venice 1906 - Brussels 1996
Venice 1906 - Brussels 1996
Bruno Capacci
"Les liens" 1933, oil on panel, 72 x 96 cm
Illustrated in "30 tableaux de Capacci" by P. Colinet, M. & G. Picqueray & M. Lecomte, Ed. La Boétie, 1946
"Les liens" 1933, oil on panel, 72 x 96 cm
Illustrated in "30 tableaux de Capacci" by P. Colinet, M. & G. Picqueray & M. Lecomte, Ed. La Boétie, 1946
Bruno Capacci
"Still life with mask" 1934, oil on panel, 48 x 60 cm
"Still life with mask" 1934, oil on panel, 48 x 60 cm
Elie Borgrave
Brussels 1905 - 1992
Master drawer of a black & white universe where Art & Architecture meet.
Brussels 1905 - 1992
Master drawer of a black & white universe where Art & Architecture meet.
Elie Borgrave - Elderen
"Still life" ca 1945-48, oil on canvas, 65 x 80 cm
Signed "Elderen" bottom left. Formerly private collection, USA
"Still life" ca 1945-48, oil on canvas, 65 x 80 cm
Signed "Elderen" bottom left. Formerly private collection, USA
Max Servais
Brussels 1904-1990
Surrealist artist
Brussels 1904-1990
Surrealist artist
Max Servais
"Phantasme" 1981, collage, 29 x 38 cm
"Phantasme" 1981, collage, 29 x 38 cm
Zéphir Busine
Gerpinnes 1916 - Mons 1976
Gerpinnes 1916 - Mons 1976
Zéphir Busine
"Still life with lemons" 1953, Oil on canvas, 65 x 80 cm
"Still life with lemons" 1953, Oil on canvas, 65 x 80 cm
Zéphir Busine
"Still life with seashells" 1959, Oil on panel, 116 x 73 cm
"Still life with seashells" 1959, Oil on panel, 116 x 73 cm
HEERBRANT
Brussels 1912 - 1982
Brussels 1912 - 1982
Heerbrant
"Black & white still life" 1955, ink drawing, 20 x 30,5 cm
Click HERE to view works by Heerbant at the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh
"Black & white still life" 1955, ink drawing, 20 x 30,5 cm
Click HERE to view works by Heerbant at the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh
Paul Schrobiltgen
Messancy 1923 - Brussels 1980
Messancy 1923 - Brussels 1980
Paul Schrobiltgen
"Composition" 1960's, Oil on canvas, 90 x 108 cm
"Composition" 1960's, Oil on canvas, 90 x 108 cm
A Legacy of Still Life in European Modernism
Group 2 Gallery’s collection of still lifes offers a window into the intimate yet intellectually rich tradition of 20th-century Belgian and European modernist art. Featuring works by René Guiette, Marc Mendelson, Gaston Bertrand, Mig Quinet, Suzanne Van Damme, and others, this curated selection highlights how still life evolved in dialogue with surrealism, metaphysical painting, and lyrical abstraction. These paintings and works on paper are not merely aesthetic objects but historical markers—imbued with the socio-cultural tensions and avant-garde experimentation that shaped mid-century Europe.
Still Life as Artistic Statement: From Surrealism to Belgian Lyrical Modernism
The still life genre, often overlooked in the context of radical modernist innovation, finds new depth and symbolism in the hands of the artists featured by Group 2 Gallery. René Guiette’s 1944 gouaches evoke a poetic materiality, layering Cubist structure with an introspective stillness that prefigures his postwar spiritual turn. Marc Mendelson’s 1943 canvas, exhibited internationally in Buenos Aires in 1947, presents an enigmatic dialogue between natural form and metaphysical presence—a testament to his early surrealist influences and role in La Jeune Peinture Belge.
Equally compelling are the contributions by women artists such as Suzanne Van Damme and Mig Quinet, whose 1930s and 1940s works respectively defy categorization. Van Damme’s Still Life with Strawberries (1937) captures a dreamlike precision, bridging Flemish tradition and surrealist whimsy. Quinet’s vibrant Table with Carafe on Red Background (1946) pulses with energy and structure, reflecting her foundational role in shaping Belgian lyrical abstraction. These works not only enrich the discourse on gender in modern art but also reaffirm the intellectual and aesthetic complexity of the still life as a genre.
Several of these artists—such as Armand Permantier, Elie Borgrave, and Zéphir Busine—extended the conceptual boundaries of still life, moving beyond representation to metaphysical and symbolic terrains. Their works resonate with the influences of Magritte, Dotremont, and the CoBrA movement, making this collection an essential reference point for collectors and scholars of 20th-century European modernism.
Equally compelling are the contributions by women artists such as Suzanne Van Damme and Mig Quinet, whose 1930s and 1940s works respectively defy categorization. Van Damme’s Still Life with Strawberries (1937) captures a dreamlike precision, bridging Flemish tradition and surrealist whimsy. Quinet’s vibrant Table with Carafe on Red Background (1946) pulses with energy and structure, reflecting her foundational role in shaping Belgian lyrical abstraction. These works not only enrich the discourse on gender in modern art but also reaffirm the intellectual and aesthetic complexity of the still life as a genre.
Several of these artists—such as Armand Permantier, Elie Borgrave, and Zéphir Busine—extended the conceptual boundaries of still life, moving beyond representation to metaphysical and symbolic terrains. Their works resonate with the influences of Magritte, Dotremont, and the CoBrA movement, making this collection an essential reference point for collectors and scholars of 20th-century European modernism.
Explore and Acquire Museum-Quality Still Lifes
This distinguished selection of still lifes at Group 2 Gallery offers collectors and art connoisseurs the opportunity to engage with museum-quality works that reflect the profound versatility of the genre in modern European art. From the poetic introspection of Belgian postwar painters to the bold visual experiments of surrealist and lyrical abstraction, each artwork is a testament to a deeply rooted cultural and aesthetic heritage. All works are available for sale; inquiries can be made by appointment at our Brussels gallery.
