LAERMANS, EUGÈNEJULESJOSEPH

(1864-1940)

A painter and etcher, Eugène Laermans was born inMolenbeek-Saint-Jeanon 21 October 1864. He was early associated with the artists' groups Voor-waarts (1891) and Pour l'Art (1892) and he participated in the first exhibition ofLa Libre Esthétique(1894). His work evolved from naturalistic portraits to his own darker style, expressive of his introspection and dislike of crowds, itself a reflection of the fact that he was born deaf and became blind in 1924. Laermans's preferred themes were drawn from the lives of farmers and workers, hispaintingparalleling the social movements in evidence in Belgium in the last quarter of the 19th century. Laermans died in Brussels on 22 February 1940.