Natus Callewaertartist • painterGent (België) 1893-1936

Natus Callewaert was educated at the Ghent Academy and would return there later, in 1924, as a teacher. He started by painting strongly romantic paintings, especially landscapes. However, he soon fell under the spell of the lively city center of Ghent and the poor life in the working-class neighbourhoods. He also painted still lifes in his studio. After an illness, the painter became addicted to morphine, which would determine his life and work. Callewaert is therefore called a 'peintre maudit', just like Van Gogh and Utrillo. In terms of color and form, his work comes close to expressionism and occasionally to Fauvism. In terms of form, it remains more or less figurative, although the content becomes more and more fantastic over the years.