About the artist
Edith Clementina Brunhilda Van Leckwyck (Antwerp, 25 March 1899 – Amsterdam, 1987) was a Belgian painter, known for her expressionist landscapes, cityscapes and later colourful impressions of the sea and flora. Her artistic journey took her from Belgium to the Netherlands, where she played a prominent role in the art world of the 20th century.
Early Life and Education
Edith was born into a wealthy family; her father, Charles Van Leckwyck, was a successful industrialist and coffee roaster of "Roode Pelikaan". During the First World War, the family fled to The Hague in 1914, where Edith received her first painting lessons from the Belgian artists Jules Schmalzigaug and Willem Paerels who had fled. This period laid the foundation for her later artistic development.
Artistic Development and Influences
After the war, the family returned to Antwerp. Edith continued her studies with Floris Jespers and befriended prominent artists such as Wassily Kandinsky and Heinrich Campendonk. Her early work consisted mainly of expressionist landscapes and village scenes, in which influences from her teachers and contemporaries are visible.
Marriage and Life in the Netherlands
In 1935 Edith married the German artist Heinrich Campendonk. Due to the rise of Nazism, the couple moved to Amsterdam, where Heinrich accepted a position at the Rijksacademie van Beeldende Kunsten. During their marriage Edith put her own career in the background and supported her husband in his work. After his death in 1957 she resumed her own artistic activities.
Later Career and Style
After the death of her husband Edith began painting again, focusing on vivid depictions of the sea, flowers and imaginative scenes. Her later work is characterised by a smooth brushwork and bright colours, which contrast with her earlier, more subdued palette. She worked with various techniques, including oil paint, watercolor and reverse glass paintings.
Exhibitions and Recognition
Edith exhibited her work at numerous exhibitions at home and abroad. Her work is included in the collections of, among others, the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp and Mu.ZEE in Ostend. Her contribution to the Belgian and Dutch art scene is still appreciated today.
Edith Van Leckwyck died in Amsterdam in 1987, but her artistic legacy lives on and inspires new generations of art lovers.
