EDGAR FARASYN ~ ALL BETTER SOON

This prominent artist, Edgar Pieter Jozef Farasyn, was born in Antwerp, Belgium in 1858. He was a painter, watercolorist, engraver and etcher who specialized in genre scenes, seascapes, landscapes and interior portraits. Among his favorite themes were children and fisher folk. Farasyn received his artistic training at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, where he studied under master teachers and artists Nicaise de Keyser (1813-1887), Jacob Jacobs (1812-1879), Emile Clause (1849-1924) and Jozef Van Serius. In 1876 at the age of eighteen, the Director of the Academy, de Keyser, gave Farasyn his own studio at the Academy.

Farasyn first started to exhibit in 1878 in Brussels at the age of twenty and his painting “Mechante Minette”, a scene with children, received great acclaim. The following year, he received the Gold Medal at the Australian National Exposition in Sydney. His large painting “Le Fils Perdu” was the highlight of the annual exhibit in Antwerp that same year. In 1882 he started to paint one of his masterpieces, “The Old Fish Market”, which took him three years to complete and exhibited at the Antwerp Salon and ultimately purchased by the Antwerp Academy of Fine Arts. In 1883, he received a gold medal from the Salon.

In 1885 at the age of twenty seven, Farasyn is given the position of a full professor at the Antwerp Academy. In 1892, he exhibited 46 paintings at the Academy for their exhibit that year. In 1894 and 1895, he received two medals from the Brussels and Antwerp Salons. In 1886, Vincent Van Gogh visits Farasyn’s studio and writes about and praises his works. In 1892 Farasyn co-founded the art group, “Les XIII” and was also a member of the group “Wees Uzelf”, a group devoted to Flemish art. He continued to participate in prestigious exhibits in the early 1900s with continued great success. He retired from teaching in 1924 and died in Antwerp in 1938.

On viewing this spectacular example of Farasyn’s work, one can see why Farasyn is regarded as one of the most important Belgian genre painters of the period. This painting depicts his daughter with her dog and upon closer examination of this painting, one is aware of the joy the artist must have felt in capturing that special moment. One can feel the warmth and loveliness of the young girl with her dog which is painted with scrupulous detail, while portraying his subject matter in a sensitive and truthful manner. It epitomizes all the great qualities of a true master.

Exhibitions of his works include Antwerp, Belgium; Brussels, Belgium; Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts; Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool; Manchester City Art Gallery; Royal Hibernian Academy, England, and in Spain and Australia. Awards include a Gold Medal at the Australian National Exposition in Sydney in 1879; a Gold Medal from the Antwerp Salon in 1883; and an award in 1897 from the Brussels International.

Today his works can be found in private and public collections, including museums in Antwerp, Brussels, and Courtrai, Belgium. Several exhibits of Farasyn’s works have been held after his death, one in 1956 in Antwerp and in 1958 in Brussels. In 2011, an exhibit of his works was held in Nieuport, Belgium.

Sadly this caliber of painting is extremely scarce today. This superb and important example of his work is presented in pristine condition, in its original period frame, and is signed by the artist.