Marie-Lou - Constant Permeke

About the artwork

Marie-Lou plays on the field of tension between the academic and the experimental. Respect for the right proportions of the human body stands in stark contrast to the abstraction of the face, which bears witness to a radical innovation and leans towards Cubism. The confident and non-vulnerable manner of the figure rejects any sexual connotation of the female body.

About the artist

Constant Permeke was one of the most important proponents of Flemish Modernism. In addition to oil paintings, Permeke also produced large format drawings. The artist’s work is characterised by a dull tonality and a brutal design that serve to generate expressive power. Nudes would become increasingly prominent within the artist’s later work. This interest went hand in hand with an interest in a new form of expression, namely through sculpture.