Jean Decoen (1890–1979) - Claude

JEAN DECOEN (1890–1979)
Portrait Claude, 1932
Artist: Jean Decoen
Born: 1890, Brussels, Belgium
Died: 1979, Ixelles, Belgium
Nationality: Belgian
Field: painting and sculpture
Education: Académie de Bruxelles
Movement / nature of work: Belgian figurative painting of the 20th century; in the early period influenced by Neo-Impressionism, later adopting a more restrained, realistically observed approach to representing figures and landscapes
Title: Portrait Claude
Medium: oil on canvas
Canvas size: approx. 60 × 80 cm
Date of creation: May 15, 1932
Signature: “Jean Decoen 1932”, lower right corner
Inscription: “CLAUDE / A-5-15 / 1932”, upper left corner
Subject: portrait of a youth
Condition: very good

DESCRIPTION OF THE WORK

The presented painting is a representative portrait of a young man by the Belgian painter and sculptor Jean Decoen (1890–1979). The work dates from 1932 and retains a particularly valuable identifying element in the form of the name of the depicted person: CLAUDE, placed by the artist in the upper left portion of the composition.

The painting also bears a clearly legible signature “Jean Decoen 1932” in the lower right corner, which directly links the work to the artist and fixes its dating.

Of particular importance is the additional inscription:

“CLAUDE / A-5-15 / 1932”

The inscription should be read as indicating the model’s name and the date of execution: Claude, Anno, 5th month, 15th day, 1932, i.e., May 15, 1932. The artist’s retention of both the model’s name and the exact date bestows the painting with exceptional documentary and biographical value.

JEAN DECOEN – A ARTIST WITH WIDE TRAINING AND DOING

Jean Decoen belongs to an interesting generation of Belgian artists active in the first half of the 20th century. He studied at the Académie de Bruxelles, and his activity was not limited to a single field. He was a painter, sculptor, collector, art critic, and connoisseur of old masters. He is classified as a Belgian painter and sculptor, and is simultaneously noted as a poet, collector, and art critic.

In his painting, Decoen initially remained under the influence of Neo-Impressionism, but later developed a more restrained artistic language. His oeuvre included portraits, landscapes, and figurative compositions. In the case of the presented painting, the artist’s focus on the individual characteristics of the depicted person and the character of the portrait is particularly significant.

Thus he was not merely a local painter. His activity encompassed the broader life of Belgium’s artistic scene, the art market, criticism, and collecting.

JEAN DECOEN AS A SCULPTOR – SIGNIFICANCE IN THE INTERNATIONAL MARKET

Particularly significant for assessing Decoen’s standing is his sculptural work. One of his most important pieces is the marble Le Baiser from 1914, a monumental, unique sculpture measuring 164 cm in length.

The work was exhibited at the Salon Triennal de Bruxelles in 1914 and is described in literature dedicated to the artist. In the Soterbis London 2018 catalogue, the sculpture was valued at £80,000–120,000, which, according to the catalogue value, corresponded to about €91,000–136,000.

This is a crucial reference point for Jean Decoen’s position in Belgian art history. Soterbis named Le Baiser as one of the essential works of his sculptural activity, while also noting his training at the Académie de Bruxelles and his broad artistic activity.

The sculpture shows that Jean Decoen was not only a creator of intimate, small-scale works but also possessed ambitions and competencies in monumental sculpture.

COLLECTING ACTIVITIES AND THE ART WORLD

Decoen’s status in the Belgian artistic milieu warrants special attention. He not only created art but also actively participated in the art market as an expert, critic, and collector.

His name appears in historical documentation related to Belgian collections and museum activity. In the archives of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, there is documentation concerning a painting donated to the museum by Jean Decoen on behalf of the Société “La Peau de l’Ours.”

His collecting activity was broad and included old masters. Jean Decoen was known as an expert in old painting and sculpture, which further emphasizes his significance as a figure connected not only with his own creation but with the wider Belgian art world.

WORKS IN MUSEUM COLLECTIONS

Jean Decoen’s work is also present in museum collections. Museum de Fundatie in Zwolle includes in its collection Jean Decoen’s self-portrait, which directly confirms the institutional presence of his work in museum holdings.

This fact is particularly interesting in the context of the presented painting, as it shows that Decoen’s oeuvre is not limited to items appearing on the auction market but also finds a place in museum collections.

CLAUDE – A BIOGRAPHICAL THREAD OF NOTE

One of the most interesting elements of the presented painting is the model’s name preserved by the artist: CLAUDE.

Here lies a particularly intriguing biographical thread. In 1973 a monograph, Jean Decoen, appeared by Edmondo Radaro, and its foreword was written by Claude E. De Coen, connected to the Belgian milieu as an architect.

The coincidence of the name Claude with the name written by Jean Decoen on the 1932 portrait forms an interesting biographical link. It is possible that the youth depicted in the painting was the same person who, over forty years later, appeared in the literature about the artist as the author of the foreword to his monograph.

If this identification is confirmed, the painting would gain an additional documentary dimension: it would depict a specific person from Jean Decoen’s circle who, after many years, participated in preserving the memory of the artist and his work.

This is a particularly interesting element of the painting because the preserved inscription “CLAUDE / A-5-15 / 1932” does not leave an anonymous likeness but provides a concrete first name and an exact date of the portrait’s execution.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PAINTING

• the work is signed by Jean Decoen;
• bears a clear dating of 1932;
• contains the exact date of May 15, 1932;
• preserves the name of the depicted person: CLAUDE;
• presents a concrete figure in a representative portrait format;
• of relatively large, representative dimensions about 60 × 80 cm;
• dates from the mature period of the artist’s career;
• the author is a Belgian painter and sculptor with formal academic training;
• Decoen also left a significant sculptural oeuvre, with publicly documented values reaching over €100,000;
• his work is in museum collections, including Museum de Fundatie;
• the preserved model’s name opens an additional, very interesting thread connected to Claude E. De Coen and his later association with the artist’s monograph.

STYLE AND CHARACTER OF THE WORK

The painting belongs to Belgian 20th-century figurative painting. In the early phase, Jean Decoen was influenced by Neo-Impressionism, but later his painting became more restrained and focused on observing reality.

This presented portrait should be viewed primarily as an example of figurative portrait painting, in which direct observation of the model, his individuality, and the psychological character of the representation play an important role.

Thanks to the signature, date, model’s name, and additional inscription, the painting also has documentary value that extends beyond the artistic representation.

CONDITION

The painting is preserved in very good condition. The original artist’s signature and the important inscription identifying the model and the date of execution have been preserved.

SUMMARY
“Portrait Claude” from 1932 is a valuable example of Belgian 20th-century figurative painting by Jean Decoen, an artist with academic training, a broad painting and sculptural oeuvre, and a significant position in the Belgian art scene.

The special value of the painting lies in the combination of an authorial signature, precise dating, a large format, and the preserved model’s name. The additional thread related to Claude E. De Coen, who in 1973 wrote the foreword to Decoen’s monograph, makes this particular portrait especially interesting biographically and historically.

Thus the work combines artistic merit with rare documentary value: we know the artist, we know the date of creation, we know the name of the person depicted, and the preserved inscription allows pinpointing the moment of the portrait’s execution.