CARLOS DE HAES (Brussels, 1829 - Madrid, 1898). "Lake... Lot 4

CARLOS DE HAES (Brussels, 1829 - Madrid, 1898). "Lake Landscape of Vriesland (Holland)". Charcoal and pastel on paper. Work reproduced in Archivo Español de Arte. Institute of History CSIC. LXXVIII, 311, 2005. p. 303. With repainting on the pictorial surface. Signed in the lower right corner. Measurements: 74 x 107.5 cm; 110 x 143 cm (frame). It is a splendid drawing of good dimensions, which makes it even more singular. It represents a lake landscape on a stormy day. It is one of those rare works by Haes in which we could say that the protagonist is not the landscape itself, but the sensation of the storm which, masterfully captured by the painter, he has depicted for us, with great realism, in the composition. It is more difficult to convey an atmospheric sensation through drawing than through oil or watercolour, but Haes fully succeeds here, making the protagonist the meteorological phenomenon itself, the atmospheric sensation of a stormy day. And all this, with no colour other than the monochrome provided by a charcoal pencil and a few touches of white gouache in the centre to enliven the reflection of the fading light on the water. The drawing is truly beautiful and exemplifies the great quality he possessed as a draughtsman, detailing in the foreground the different types of bushes on the banks with precise, perfect strokes, as well as masterfully blurring the forms as they are lost in the charged atmosphere of the distance. But these technical details would be no more than beautiful, static, mute elements, were it not for the enormous life they acquire under the dense atmosphere that preludes the storm, admirably captured by the painter's pencil. It would be difficult to pinpoint exactly, as this is a drawing, to which period or period of Haes's oeuvre it belongs. However, in view of the flat, lakeside landscape, full of vegetation and rainy weather, we can say that it must undoubtedly be a landscape of Belgium, Holland or northern France, painted by Haes on one of the artistic excursions he made to these countries during his lifetime. And if we add to this the fact that the third and final stage of Haes's creation The Haes family moved from Brussels to Spain in 1835, specifically to Malaga, where Carlos began his training as a pupil of Luis de la Cruz. In 1850 he decided to continue his studies in his native land, learning from the great Flemish landscape painters. At the same time he came into contact with contemporary Belgian artists who exhibited regularly at the Brussels Salons. Once there he worked with the landscape painter Joseph Quinaux, who introduced him to plein air painting, a key to the formation of his artistic personality. On his return to Spain Haes began to reap success, such as the third medal at the National Exhibition of 1856. The following year he was appointed professor of landscape painting at the San Fernando Academy of Fine Arts, a position from which he trained a whole generation of landscape painters in the practice of realist plein air painting. His pupils were Aureliano Beruete and Darío de Regoyos. During his artistic career he continued to win prizes, such as the first medal at the National Exhibition of 1858. In 1860 he was appointed a member of the San Fernando Academy, the same year he won another first medal at the National Exhibition. Nevertheless, he cannot be considered a follower of Plenilism, as he was in favour of working only from life on sketches, while he considered that the painting should be finished in the classical manner, in the studio. Nevertheless, he introduced landscape painting into Spanish painting, to the extent that the first chair of landscape painting at the San Fernando Academy was created for him. His views are composed in the classical manner, although with a predominance of the earth over the sky, which normally occupies a third of the lieu of the landscape.