Footnotes

Painted in 1875.

PROVENANCE:
Formerly in the collection of Jakob Smits.
Félix Mommen collection.
Private collection, Brussels.
Bonhams London, Greek Sale, 13 December 2005, lot 39.
Acquired from the above sale by the present owner.

LITERATURE:
Jakob Smits (1855-1928), Exhibition Catalogue, Musée Charlier, Brussels, 5 October - 18 December 2005, p. 17 (illustrated).


The Port of Brussels played an important role in the economic development of the Belgian capital. Despite the beauty of the location and the rich and varied spectacle of its human activity, artists gave it little attention during the middle of the nineteenth century, preferring more historical and romantic themes. It was Eugène Boudin, the precursor of Impressionism, who first gave honour to his forgotten district of Brussels. During his visit to the Belgian capital in 1871-72, Boudin painted a series of works depicting the Port of Brussels and its various docks; these works of great beauty and profound sensibility would make an important contribuition to his own artistic repertoire.

Périclès Pantazis had the opportunity to admire these works by Boudin at the Brussels gallery of the art dealer Léon Gauchez. The Greek artist, who already greatly admired the Honfleur master's beach scenes, found deep resonanaces with his own artistic sensibility. Quay at Brussels is a view taken near the 'Bassin de Sainte-Catherine', which together with the 'Bassin du Commerce', were the most important and pictoresque docks in the Port of Brussels. In the manner of Boudin, Pantazis builds up the composition with rigour, setting the vertical lines of the boat-masts in the foreground against those of the facades in the background. The lightly sketched sky and the reflections in the rippling water contrast vigorously with the verical elements in the composition. Like Boudin, Pantazis uses a range of greys and russet-greys with subltle accents of lively colours. Docks at Brussels is a work of ample serenity, capturing the atmospheric subtleties of the situation.

Pantazis painted this canvas in 1875, which marked an important moment in his artistic development. It was the same year in which he built up widespread social contacts, along with his friend Guillaume Vogels, precursor of Belgian Impressionism. By this time his technique had acquired greater assurance and mastery and Quay at Brussels occupies an important place in the oeuvre of Pantazis. A few years later, in 1880, Pantazis discovered the Port of Marseilles, he sketched out the Port de la Joliette (private collection, Brussels) in the same tonalities, using an almost identical composition.

The beauty of this painting seduced the great painter Jacob Smits who like Pantazis attended the Ateliers Mommen in Brussels at the same period. Smits acquired Quay at Brussels during a visit to the artist's studio. Having to recover some outstanding debts two years later, Smits sold the work to the art collector and onwner, Felix Mommen, of the eponymous Ateliers Mommen.