About the artist
Oscar Verpoorten was a Belgian painter, sculptor and graphic artist. He was the son of a goldsmith and student of the Antwerp Art Academy (with Frans Lauwers and Charles Mertens, among others). Became a teacher at the Academy of Berchem in 1935. Verpoorten painted figuratively: city corners, harbor views, marines, landscapes, figures and portraits. His style was post-impressionist. He can be counted among traditional Antwerp painters from the first half of the 20th century such as Franck Mortelmans, John Michaux, Isidoor Opsomer, Jos Tilleux, René Leclercq, Antoon Marstboom and Georges Van Raemdonck. Typical for a large part of his oeuvre is the use of monotone earth colors in performances in which he makes certain parts light up. In other works, light and color are more prominent.
