Florimond Van Acker (1858-1940) - De duinen van Kampenhout

Romantic oil painting of a shepherd with his flock in the moorland of Kalmthout by Florimont Van Acker in 1920 Florimond (Flori) Arthur Joseph Van Acker (Bruges, April 16, 1858 – Bruges, March 14, 1940) was a neo-romantic, impressionist Flemish painter, engraver, stamp designer and director of the Bruges Academy. Van Acker, son of a wool merchant, studied at the Academy in Bruges with Bruno Van Hollebeke and Eduard Wallays, in Antwerp with Karel Verlat and from 1879 in Brussels with Jan Portaels and the painter of historical scenes Joseph Stallaert. Going along with the trend at the time, he stayed in the fishing village of Knokke in 1882, where fishing life was a favorite subject for him. Here he was accompanied by a large number of other painters: Alfred Verwee, Louis Artan, Firmin Baes, Richard Baseleer, Alfred Bastien, Henri Cassiers, Franz Courtens and Paul-Jean Clays. In 1883 he won a Second Prize of Rome. After several years of travelling, including in England, France and Germany, he settled in Brussels. Here he befriended Jan Toorop and Jean Delville. He gave an exhibition in Brussels with the L'Union des Arts, which attracted only moderate interest. In 1885 he was a co-founder of the Brussels art circle Forward, a regrouping of the art circle "L'Union des Arts", which had died out. In 1887, at his mother's insistence, he returned permanently to Bruges, where he became a teacher at the Art Academy, including painting from a live model. In 1910 he became director of this institution, which he remained until 1926. In that period he also contributed to the revival of Bruges pottery. He also made designs for Gustavus Pickery. Many painters of what was called 'the Bruges School' belonged to his colleagues (among them: Jef Van de Fackere, Joseph Neutens, Edmond Van Hove, Albert Goethals, Emile Rommelaere and Georges De Sloovere) and to his pupils (among them Guillaume Michiels, Leo Paret and Dora Rommelaere) . After his resignation he was succeeded by Jules Fonteyne He was a painter of Bruges townscapes and working-class neighbourhoods, landscapes, genre scenes, fishermen's life, historical scenes in an impressionistic style, religious works and numerous portraits of dignitaries. He was also very active in designing posters (such as for the Breydelfeesten and for the Carillon concerts) , leaflets, book illustrations, menus, ex libris, as well as historical costumes and floats for Bruges parades and processions. He decorated interiors, such as on the Zand (Hotel du Singe d'Or) and Simon Stevinplaats 14. As an amateur photographer, he was an active member of the Bruges 'Cercle Photographique'. In 1894 he was one of the four founders of the art-loving society Chat Noir. His work is preserved in Bruges collections, such as OCMW, Groeninge Museum, Provincial Court and many people from Bruges. From 1891 Van Acker lived with his wife, Sylvie Vanneste, in the Zuidzandstraat. In 1895, according to his own design, he built a studio and reception room at Korte Vuldersstraat 30 as a back house. The building was preserved intact and has been protected as a monument since 2002. The canvas alone measures 70*50 cms and with its frame (which will be offered as a gift) ca. 107*77cms