Pieter Franciscus Dierckx

Pieter Franciscus Dierckx (7 February 1871 – 4 September 1950) was a Belgian impressionist painter.

Dierckx was born and died in Berchem (Antwerp), where he was a student at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts and at the higher institute . His teachers included Juliaan De Vriendt, his brother Albert De Vriendt and Karel Verlat. Pieter Dierckx was a member of the Antwerp art society “ De Scalden“. He became director of the drawing academy of Temse in September 1896 and also taught drawing. He changed the way and content of the teaching and brought the school to a higher level and is regarded as one of the most important directors in the 230-year existence of the drawing academy in Temse.

As an etcher and graphic designer he provided his services to clubs and societies. In 1899 he illustrated “Studentenliederboek” (student song book) of Karel Heyndrickx and in 1910 a few children's stories for the author Lodewijk Scheltjens (1861–1946). In 1912 he took part in the design of the historic procession in Rupelmonde in honour of the 400 birthday of Mercator.

During the first world war he mainly painted country images like: ”the potato peelers in an old age home“, “a sober meal”, “a thatch making place”, “the lace maker”, “a clog maker”, “a basket maker”, “the small quay” (1917), “a burned farm”, “a level crossing attendant”, “a weaver family”, “the spinning wheel”, “piety on the heather”, etc. The main theme in his paintings is landscapes, mainly concentrating on forest views. He belonged to the neo impressionistic school, therefore light was a very important instrument in his works.

He was also attracted by the historic genre, giving reference to Hendrik Leys. Franz Courtens, carried a very high esteem of Pieter Dierckx. He recommended Dierckx for the most important order of the town of Lokeren: two paintings for the town hall showing historic events. The first one depicts the emperor Charles V handing over the privilege of holding a market every week to the deputies of the city in 1555. The other panel shows the foundation of the Saint Sebastian guild by Albrecht and Isabella in 1613, while issuing the privilege for holding a yearly market. These are big paintings, confirming the greatness of the school of Leys. In addition they show that Pieter Dierckx has the ability to expertly picture an historic event.

In March 1919 he returns to Antwerp and starts a paint studio. In 1939 he confirmed himself as a painter of historic events with the almost 5 m wide painting of “The Saint Willibrordus explaining the bible to the people living on the shores of the river Scheld around 700 AD”. This painting can be admired in the church of the Holy Heart in the Lange Beeldekensstraat 18 in Antwerp. He painted mythological events with „the dancing sylphides“ and “Orpheus, the soft voiced singer of Tracia”. The latter painting showed the theme of the first one in the background. He was also a great portraitist.

Since 1952 the “Pieter Dierckx Price for Painting” is issued biannually at the drawing academy in Temse. In 1986 the town of Temse honoured Pieter Dierckx by naming a street after him.

Exhibitions

Salons

Publications

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