Philippe SWYNCOP ~ Spanish Beauty ✿

Philippe Swyncop (1878-1949) was a Belgian painter, etcher, illustrator and designer of posters from the first half of the twentieth century. He was the older brother of Charles Swyncop, whom he trained as a painter.

Philippe Swyncop studied at the Academy in Brussels during the years 1892-1898. His teachers were Constant Montald and Jean-François Portaels. He was a fellow student of Paul-Jean Martel, Jef Dutillieu, E. Voets, Lucien Rion, Julien De Beul, Jacques Madyol and Emile Bulcke.

He took part in the competitions for the Rome Prize in 1898, 1904 and 1907, without ever being among the laureates. In 1900 he did receive the Godecharle Prize. He traveled frequently in France, Spain and Italy, journeys that influenced his themes. Incidentally, he would live in Spain for twelve years, where he paints southern beauties in a virtuoso manner.

He was a member of “Le Sillon” (1893-1910) a group that included artists such as A. Degreef,Alfred Bastien, Arthur Navez, Laval, Haustraete, Godfrinon, Niekerk, Edgard Tytgat, Maurice Lefebure, Beauck, Jean Colin, Max Chotiau and Rick Wouters. He was also a member of the "Cercle Artistique d'Auderghem". Until 1924 he mainly worked as an impressionist portraitist.

Like Charles Swyncop, he produced a carefree, smooth art: gypsies, Spanish and Creole dancers and other female types, guitar players, flower arrangements, still lifes and portraits. Of his portraits we mention: "Portrait of Brand-Whitlock", ambassador of the U.S.A. in Belgium (1921) and "Portrait of Baron de Favereau" (Senate).