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Louis van Engelen (1856-1940) was a renowned 19th-century Belgian painter. He was renowned for his talents as a portraitist and painter of genre scenes, but also distinguished himself in other artistic genres such as landscape and animal art.
Born in Lierre in Belgium in 1856, Van Engelen began his artistic training at the drawing school in his home town before attending the Antwerp Academy. He perfected his skills by studying alongside eminent artists of the time. His passion for art led him to travel to many countries, including Russia, Italy, North America and the Congo, where he acquired new artistic influences.
Van Engelen settled in Antwerp, where he became a member of the artists' group Als Ik Kan and co-founder of the group Les XIII, formed by dissidents from Als Ik Kan. His growing reputation brought him into contact with several artistic and intellectual circles of the time, and he became friends with other renowned artists of the period such as Emile Claus.
Louis van Engelen's artistic style was strongly influenced by realism and naturalism, popular artistic trends of the 19th century. In addition to his technical skills, Van Engelen was a master of composition. He had a gift for telling stories through his paintings, capturing moments of everyday life and revealing the emotions and thoughts of the people depicted. His talent and success earned him international recognition, and his works were exhibited in prestigious galleries and exhibitions of his time.
Antwerp, a major city in northern Belgium, was a thriving cultural and artistic centre in the 19th century. The city was renowned for its lively art school and its rich artistic heritage, which attracted many talented painters and artists. The city also offered a variety of interesting subjects for painters, including scenes of city life, cafés, busy shopping streets and portraits of people from different social classes. Cafés were meeting places, where people gathered to chat, enjoy themselves and observe the world around them.
The scene takes place in a richly decorated brasserie of the period, with an elegant mirror set in wood panelling. At the centre of the composition is a young woman, whose reflection can be seen in the mirror. Her face reflects an expression of determination mixed with a certain nostalgia, as if she were aware of the brevity of the moment she was living.
The choice of depicting a young woman engraving her name on the mirror is imbued with symbolism. The mirror, traditionally associated with vanity and self-image, here evokes the idea of ephemeral beauty and fleeting youth. By engraving her name in the reflection of her face, the young woman seeks to leave a trace of her own existence, to represent a moment of her youth that will soon fade away. Alongside "Marguerite" are other female names, including Flora, Jenny, Marion, Amandine, Marge, Alphonsine, Anne, Clara, Adolphine, Zenia and Léonie. These inscriptions probably reflect an unusual custom instituted by the brewery's owners.
Van Engelen's precise realism is reflected in his attention to detail. Instead of painting the names on the mirror, the artist chose to engrave them directly into the paint.
Finally, in the middle of the names, the artist adds the following saying: "Tout passe, tout lasse, tout casse" (which means "Everything passes, everything wearies, everything breaks"), signifying the ephemeral nature of things and feelings, and reinforcing the fleeting nature of life evoked earlier.
