Verbrugge Willy

Willy Verbrugge was a Belgian painter, born in Tielt in 1925 and passed away in Pittem in 2017. He studied at the Academy in Tielt under the guidance of Maurits Vander Meeren and Adolf Deseyn, and also received private lessons from José Storie in Bruges.

Willy Verbrugge mainly painted tranquil (snowy) landscapes, rural characters, and occasionally still lifes. He employed a lyrical-expressionist style.

From the press: “Inspired by the beauty of nature, the rural charm of the Lys region and farm life, W.V. lacked no inspiration. He captured these themes expressively and delicately in a distinctly Flemish expressionist visual language,” and “The content of W.V.’s oeuvre reflects the deeply human glorification of his native region and its people. Each landscape is a silent witness, aesthetically and stylistically rendered in a peaceful manner. The warmth radiating from each canvas — even in his intimate winter landscapes — is the result of his sincere and refined use of color. With a magical play of clouds, this romantic soul transforms a quiet landscape into a true ode.”

Willy Verbrugge is listed in the Lexicon of West Flemish Visual Artists III, Artists and Galleries 1998, BAS II, and Two Centuries of Signatures of Belgian Artists. (Piron)