Constant Permeke

Son of a marine painter in Ostend, Permeke studied in Bruges and Ghent, settling in the artist colony of Sint-Martens-Latem alongside Gustave De Smet and Frits Van den Berghe. Severely wounded at the Siege of Antwerp in 1914, he was evacuated to England, where he painted dramatic coastal visions.

Returning to Flanders, he settled in Jabbeke, painting fishermen, farmers, and turbulent North Sea breakers with monumental brushstrokes and heavy, dark ochre and umber pigments that radiated primal emotional power. His studio in Jabbeke is now the Provincial Museum Constant Permeke.