Dratz Jean

Jean Dratz was a Belgian artist, born in Mont-Saint-Guibert in 1903 and died in Uccle in 1967. He was the son and pupil of Constant Dratz. Jean Dratz was a painter, draftsman, illustrator and graphic artist. He studied law and economics at the University of Brussels. He realized (snow) landscapes in austere graphic lines, which are reminiscent of both photographic precision and Japanese graphic design and which exude a certain melancholy. The Ardennes plateau, the Brabant hill country as well as the Flemish plain and the coastal region inspired him to an extensive oeuvre. His eye for detail, the clear drawing, the sensitivity to colour, the poetic atmosphere and the depth in the landscapes are sometimes reminiscent of Bruegel or De Saedeleer. Travel impressions from France and Italy were also discussed. He also gained fame as a caricaturist and illustrator. He was co-founder of Mine Souriante, an association of Belgian humorous cartoonists. Sometimes he was called the Belgian Dubout. Jean Dratz decorated the pavilions of Brazil and Chile for the 1935 World's Fair, the Congo Pavilion in 1958 and also designed theatrical sets. He is mentioned in BAS I and Two centuries of signatures of Belgian artists. (Piron)