Artwork
Portrait of the artist's mother at the age of 60
Portrait of the artist's mother at the age of 60 is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Piet Verhaert. It dates from 1890 and is held in the collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp.
About this work
Overview
In 1890 Piet Verhaert created an oil painting titled *Portrait of the artist's mother at the age of 60*. The work presents a single figure, an elderly woman, rendered with the loose handling characteristic of late‑19th‑century Impressionism.
Subject & Meaning
The sitter is Verhaert’s own mother, shown at the milestone of her sixtieth birthday. She wears a dark dress trimmed with a white lace collar and bow, while a flower‑adorned cap frames her hair, suggesting both modesty and a touch of domestic elegance.
Technique & Style
Verhaert employs thick, impasto brushwork, especially on the facial area, to give the portrait a tactile surface. The background is rendered in a flat, dark tone, allowing the illuminated features of the woman’s face to dominate the composition.
History & Provenance
A Belgian artist active in genre scenes, cityscapes and portraiture, Verhaert was a member of the avant‑garde societies Les XX and De XIII, which opposed the conservative Salon system. He later taught at the Academy of Antwerp, though the painting’s subsequent ownership record is not documented in the source.
Context
Created during the height of the Impressionist movement, the portrait reflects the period’s interest in capturing fleeting light and personal intimacy. Verhaert’s affiliation with progressive artist groups situates the work within a broader challenge to academic conventions in Belgium at the turn of the century.
Artist & collection
Artist
Piet Verhaert (born Petrus Josephus Verhaert, 25 February 1852 – 4 August 1908), also known as Pieter Verhaert, was a Belgian painter and etcher painter of genre scenes, cityscapes, interiors, figures and portraits.
