CARLOS De HAES

Post-214 by Gautam Shah

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SUNDAY Feature on ART of Architecture 

Carlos De Haes, (1829-1898), was a Spanish painter from Belgium. He was a realist painter of nature and architecture. He charted his own style that took him away from the Romanticism to Realism. He was one of the first Spanish landscape painters to do so. His works relate to depiction of trees, wild terrains, coastal areas and buildings, all against clouds filled skies.

He believed in direct observation of the nature, and prepared many sketches during visits to the site. His style inspired many to follow this Spanish ‘flavour’. Haes' success with landscapes, was also due to the modest size of compositions, which allowed him to handle them well.

His brush strokes, reflects the impressionist manner, but rather modestly. His experiments with light and colour relates only to the skies. The skies in various extent are seen through all the scenes. His paintings lack the instantaneity or spontaneity, till in later days, when he moved to freer Barbizone School style.

Haes believed that the ‘end result of art should be the truth found in the imitation of nature, the source of all beauty’. ‘The painter should imitate nature as closely as possible, and to do so, one must know nature and not rely on imagination’.

In 1857 he became the first professor of landscape painting, and in 1860, he became an Academic at the Royal Academy.

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