Joseph Middeleer
Brussels 1865-1939 Bruges
A Sunlight Street Scene
oil on canvas
47 x 55 cm 18.5 x 21.7 in
signed lower right J.Middeleer
Titled and situated on the back.
Situated: Depicted is a view of the Balstraat - in the Belgian town of Bruges - looking towards the Rolweg. The row of houses on the left nowadays houses o local museum - the Stedelijk Museum voor Volkskunde. With the completely restaured inn De Zwarte Kat.
Note: An almost identical street scene was acquired by the Groeningemuseum in Bruges in 1913 (De Rolweg (aan de Korte Ropeerdstraat oil on canvas, 89 x 116 cm; signed lower right). Composition, colours, light, point of view and figures indicate that the picture in the Bruges museum is a larger version of ours.
Publications: The painting in the Bruges Groeningemuseum has been several times reproduced as an excellent example of Middeleers' art:
Geïllustreerde catalogus E Hosten, Eg I Strubbe Stedelijk Museum van Schone Kunsten Brugge 1° éd. 1931 (2° éd. 1938; 3° éd.1948) p.104 n°96
Catalogus van de Brugse stadgezichten - Schilderijen XVIIe - XXe eeuw Dr A Janssens de Bisthoven Stedelijke Musea Brugge 1977 p.68 ill.p.68
Lexicon of the Belgian Romantic Painters WG Flippo Antwerp 1981 ill.
Dictionnaire des peintres belges nés entre 1750 et 1875 P & V Berko Bruxelles 1981 p.472 ill.p.472