This early 20th-century oil painting by Belgian artist Edgard Wiethase (1881-1965) depicts a coffee house interior with bar.

Attired in “cool-fitting” suits with “well-chosen jackets and ties”, Wiethase was an artist of both style and substance. His oeuvre is brimming with colour - sunflowers, interiors, gardens, each enlivened with vibrant palettes. During the 1920s, his heyday, he was praised for conveying a sense of “joyful, unblemished beauty”, which was a welcome distraction during the aftermath of World War I.

He trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp under Charles Boom (1858-1939), Charles Mertens (1865-1919) and Piet Verhaert (1852-1908). They were wholeheartedly traditional tutors and urged students to hone their technique by diligently studying the old masters. This classical grounding provided the basis of a fruitful career and he developed a deep respect for the Flemish painters of yesteryear.

With one foot firmly planted in the past, Wiethase blended both old and new. Drawn to emerging ideas yet keen to utilise his academic training. As such, his works often carry an unusual tension, the paint is applied liberally and with spirit, yet compositions appear balanced and intelligent. There’s a sense of intuition, particularly with his colouring, as if he’s feeling his way through. During the early part of his career, he was, at times, heavy-handed - but refined his approach as he matured.

Here, in this piece from 1927, he’s taken an easel into a welcoming Dutch ‘koffiehuis’. The floor features a checkerboard of red and grey tiles - while the shelves are decked with glassware and liquor. It’s uneven, probably hundreds of years old, and invites you to rest awhile. The view through the door is particularly interesting and creates an additional sense of depth.

Edgard Wiethase exhibited frequently including at shows in Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent and Amsterdam. He’s represented at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp.

Signed/dated lower right and held within its original frame.

Learn more about Edgard Wiethase in our directory.

Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 37½” x 34” / 96cm x 87cm
Year of creation: 1927
Provenance: Private collection, Belgium.
Condition: Assessed and approved by our conservator. Cleaned. Revarnished. Canvas relined. Fine and settled craquelure, as you would expect. The paint layer is stable. Frame restored.
Artist’s auction maximum: £26,195 for ‘Femme Dans un Jardin de Fleurs (1920)’, Oil on canvas, De Vuyst, Lokeren, Belgium, 2009 (lot 554).
Our reference: BRV1629