Albert Claes-Thobois

Biography

Albert Claes-Thobois (also known as Claes-Florian) was a Belgian artist celebrated for his work as a painter, draftsman, watercolorist, and wood engraver. He studied at the Brussels Academy under the guidance of Constant Montald and Henri
Richier between 1896-1897 and 1901-1903.

Claes-Thobois became known for his landscapes, city and parkviews, portraits, still lifes, and floral compositions. Although he began with an Impressionist style, his work evolved into a more synthesized approach around 1920. He also explored a Cubist
period and was influenced by Russian modernism.

Albert Claes-Thobois illustrated the poetry of Émile Verhaeren, notably Les heures d'après-midi in 1923. He exhibited in prominent galleries such as Le Centaure in Brussels in 1922, with L'Esthétique Nouvelle in 1921, and at the Brussels Literary Circle in 1925. His work Ambiorixplein with Fountain (1923) is currently housed in a museum collection in Brussels. Several of his pieces were auctioned by Galerie G. Giroux in 1947 and 1949. His name is listed in Deux siècles de signatures d'artistes belges (Piron), a directory of recognized Belgian artists.

Exhibitions selected

1945 Exposition rétrospective (posthume), Galerie G. Giroux, Brussels, Belgium
1925 Cercle Littéraire de Bruxelles, Cercle Royal Gaulois Artistique et Littéraire, Brussels, Belgium
1923 Ambiorixplein avec fontaine, Musée de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
1922 Albert Claes-Thobois, Galerie Le Centaure, Brussels, Belgium
1921 L'Esthétique Nouvelle, Galerie L'Esthétique Nouvelle, Brussels, Belgium