Rocher Ernest

Ernest Rocher was a Belgian artist born in 1872 in Laeken and who died in 1938 in Vorst, Brussels. He was a painter, pastelist and decorator. Training at the Academy in Brussels under the supervision of Jean Portaels. Debuted with the decoration of civilian houses and town halls in Symbolist style. After the First World War he devoted himself entirely to painting, because during that period the demand for decorative work disappeared. Realized landscapes, beach views, still lifes and portraits. Gradually broke away from the influence of Portaels and under the influence of impressionism he acquired a freer touch and started to pay more and more attention to light effects. After the death of his father, he settled in a studio in Darwinstraat in Vorst. Found the inspiration for his landscapes in the Ardennes, Brittany and along the Belgian coast. From the press: 'At the end of his life, his poor health forced him to increasingly renounce plein airism. He then focused on grainy still lifes with fruits, game, silver or porcelain objects, with a wealth of vibrant gray nuances in the color paste. In these small-sized gems, the colors dance like luminous particles.' Was friends with P. Maas, A. Bastien and A. Massonet. Was a member of the Kring Labor and the Cercle aristique et littéraire. (Piron)