05/05/2014
Ostend, 1927-1929, 2nd part, 17th Issue
Some history:
Alfred Courmes lived a few years in Belgium. He had married a girl of Ostend, daughter of a Belgian general, and started his so-called Ostend period. He settled on the coast at Westende in the summer time, and went often to Ostend that he could reach in fifteen minutes of tramway.
During that period, he showed his work in many places and notably at Ostende casino called the Kursaal, together with his friend Félix Labisse. The local paper, “Le Carillon” relates the exhibition of Saturday the 22nd of September in its painting pages under the title “The exhibition at Kursaal”, naming among others Courmes and Labisse : “Courmes, to start with, man of the Mediterranean, but gifted as a Flemish primitive, kept of modern art only the best. Everything has a homogeneous value in all of his work, from the smallest drawing to the grand canvas. That is very rare and the reason for which the painter leaves an overwhelming impression of good health and probity You can retain his name. Labisse is the colourful painter of the exhibition, and he brings in it the lightest touch of fantasy (…)
“The port of Ostend”, 1929, oil on canvas (52 x 63 cm) private ownership. ©adagp
“The trade wharf of Ostend”, 19269, lead pencil, privately owned. ©adagp
“Fisherman at Ostend”, 1929, oil on canvas (32 x 40cm) privately owned. ©adagp
“The port of Ostend” 1928, lead pencil, (14 x 23cm) privately owned. ©adagp
All would be at its best, except for the publication in the same “Carillon” of another entry titled “The municipal decency”: “The tide of excessive decency that extends upon Ostend, which starts at the city hall, is funnier to follow as for its consequences, than the memorable campaign (against nude and other blasphemies) of Wybo. We have already mentioned some samples of the municipal prudishness. By order of municipal authorities, the French painter Courmes, now shown at Kursaal, was summoned to hang down one “nude” and another painting that were offending, so one said, some shy females. So Courmes took away these offending paintings! They were though quite harmless for any spectator or painting lover having in his brain a few grams of common sense! And one can see other things in music halls and cinemas of the twentieth century in Ostend. The time is far when one could project without remarks in Ostende a film like “La Garçonne” which was more harmful to the public morality than this inoffensive nude of Courmes that has arisen the wrath of the public censorship” ……
“The fish merchant” 1927, oil on canvas (60 x 73cm) privately owned. ©adagp
“At the market”, 1928, lead pencil, private ownership. ©adagp
“Two Ostend fishermen with a child”,1928, oil on canvas (73 x 60cm) privately owned. ©adagp
“The port of Nieuport”,1927, oil on canvas, (60 x 73cm) privately owned. ©adagp
“The canal of Nieuport”,1927, no representation in colours, unknown owner.©adagp
“Ostend fishermen in the tramway”, 1928, oil on canvas (73 x 60cm), privately owned. ©adagp
“It is in Ostende that I got to know Labisse. It was the start of a friendship that lasted up to his death in 1982. He was born in Douai in 1905. He had just finished his military obligations and was around 22 years old. His Father was a seedman in the north of France, and gambled quite a lot, and for that reason, lived near the casino at Ostende. Labisse took me at his home, in a monkey house, it is to say a vast place where one used to sell monkeys and other animals. He had rented this magnificent place, multi-storey, to settle there an art gallery (…)”
Some works of Félix Labisse (1905-1982):
"Carnaval ostendais", 1934
" Three", 1968
"Cotyo-perfica-volupie", 1963
"Libidoscaphe en état de veille", 1962. MNAM, Centre Georges-Pompidou.
Some geography:
For those who would like to follow the steps of Alfred Courmes, here are some links and maps.
To know more:
I must thank John Binder who wrote quite a lot on this Ostend period, and who gave me plenty of information.
He participated in the issue in 2010 a book on this period: “Henri Vandeputte – Letters to Felix Labisse”, collaborating with Victor Martin-Schmets. He took care of the forewords, of chronological datas and of the choice of photographs. Edited by Rafael de Surtis.
The press items quoting Courmes in this Ostende period can be found in the internet address of the Ostend Library
Gescande Oostendse Documenten (god.biboostende.be/)
He wrote on the Ostende period of Labisse in the catalogue of the Labisse exhibition at Cordes sur Ciel in 2005.
“The port of Ostende”, 1929, has been shown:
1987/1988: “Inquiétude et Sérénité”. In honour of Jean Hélion at the Salon de la Malmaison, from December 5th to February 14th, Cannes.
“The port of Ostende”,1929, was subject of following publications:
Vitalie Andriveau – Gilles Bernard, Alfred Courmes, foreword by Michel Onfray, le cherche midi editor, 2003, page 57.
“Fisherman at Ostende”, 1929, has been shown:
- 1986, private exhibition, Jean Briance Gallery, from April 10th to May 31st, Paris.
- 1989, Retrospective, La Piscine museum, Roubaix.
- 1989, Retrospective, Sainte Croix museum, from July 3rd to September 4th, Poitiers.
- 1989, Retrospective, GeorgesPompidouCenter, from September 12th to October 22nd, Paris.
“Fisherman at Ostende” 1929, was subject of following publications:
Vitalie Andriveau – Gilles Bernard, Alfred Courmes, foreword by Michel Onfray, le cherche midi editor, 2003, page 60.
“The fish merchant”,1927, was subject of following publications:
Vitalie Andriveau – Gilles Bernard, Alfred Courmes, foreword by Michel Onfray, le cherche midi editor, 2003, page 60.
« Two Ostend fishermen with a child” 1928, has been shown:
- 1930, La Boussole Gallery, from the 18th to the 30th of January, Antwerp.
- 1930, Girous Gallery, from March 29th to April 16th, Brussels.
- 1979, Retrospective, Painting museum, from May 16th to August 20th, Grenoble.
“Two Ostend fishermen with a child”1928, was subject of following publications:
Vitalie Andriveau – Gilles Bernard, Alfred Courmes, foreword by Michel Onfray, le cherche midi editor, 2003, page 61.
“The port of Nieuport”, 1927, has been shown:
- 1928, Salon des Tuileries, Paris
- 1928, Painting Salon, Kursaal.
- 1930, La Boussole Gallery, from the 18th to the 30th of January, Antwerp.
- 1977, Private exhibition, Jean Briance Gallery, from October 6th to November 12th, Paris.
- 1979, Retrospective, Painting museum, Grenoble, from May 16th to August 20th.
“The port of Nieuport”, 1927, was subject of following publications:
Vitalie Andriveau – Gilles Bernard, Alfred Courmes, foreword by Michel Onfray, le cherche midi editor, 2003, page 48.
« Ostend fishermen in the tramway » 1928, has been shown :
- 1928, Painting Salon, Kursaal.
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