Josse Goossens artwork • painting • for sale In the tea room

Josse Goossens was born in Aachen in 1876 and received painting lessons from the Aachen painter Peter Bücken as a child. He then studied at the Academy of Düsseldorf with, among others, the history painter Arthur Kampf. Under his influence, he began his painting career with historical scenes and Goossens made a name for himself early on with the decorative wall paintings, which he made on commission for both private individuals and public institutions. From around 1905 he developed his own, more impressionistic style that increasingly deviated from the academic painting style he had used until then. In 1910-1911 Goossens moved to Munich, where he was a member of the Munich Secession from 1914. This artists' association was founded in 1892 by a group of progressive artists who could no longer agree with the conservative policy of the two existing artists' associations in Munich. While Goossens previously worked more in the style of German Impressionists such as Liebermann, he now focuses primarily on the work of the Art Nouveau movement. The motifs for his work change. He captures the cheerful moments of everyday life, processions, fairs and circus performances – the entertainment of the common people. In addition, he paints tea concerts, dinner dances and lunchroom scenes that give an impression of the lifestyle of the upper class. He does this in broad brushstrokes which create a mosaic-like effect, in which bright colours such as green-blue and purple-pink play a major role. Goossens would continue to live and work in Munich for the rest of his life. In 1925 he was appointed professor at the Munich Academy.