Thierry Van Ryswyck (1911-1958) Foal

About this piece

A foal, portrayed by Thierry van Ryswyck (Antwerp, 1911 - Vallauris, 1958), he has typified the foal very nicely, with the awkward jumpiness, like a foal still has. Head to the side and legs set wide with a waving tail. Yet he also stylized the animal and by letting the legs flare out, it has become a completely unique portrait of a foal.

The foal is made of patinated terracotta and is signed on the tail with; "Th. van Ryswyck".

Biography:
Thierry van Rijswijck or van Ryswyck, he himself signed with 'van Ryswyck' (Antwerp 1911- Vallauris 1958), was a sculptor and ceramist and belonged to the School of Antwerp.

He was educated at the Academy of Antwerp as a pupil of the Belgian sculptor Josué Dupon, a close friend of Rembrandt Bugatti, whose monumental bronzes of animals adorned the famous Antwerp Zoo. Van Ryswyck learned his skills of sculpture and ceramics from him.

Van Ryswyck is an outspoken animalier (animal sculptor), he carefully studied the wild animals in the Antwerp Zoo, just like Alberic Collin and Rembrandt Bugatti before him and he has portrayed many animals.
He soon received great recognition from the art critics of the time.
He was close friends with his colleagues Albéric Collin and Raymond de Meester de Betzenbroeck.

In the mid 1930s he moved to Paris and regularly took part in the Salons. The Art Deco inspired him greatly, he worked in a naturalistic, stylized style. After WWII he moves to the south of France near Monte Carlo. He also collaborated with Roger Guérin in Bouffioulx, he was also associated with the Belgian Ceramics Association; 'Cerabel', in Badour.

Van Ryswyck usually worked with plaster, terracotta or bronze, he captured many different animals, but he had a special fascination for the more exotic animals, often his animals were also young. He wanted to portray his animals in the behaviour that was typical of them. In fact, this gives each animal a very strong appearance and vitality. In addition, he also made sure that the light fell well on the fur, so that muscles or other elements also suggested movement.

He regularly visits Vallauris, the center of ceramics. Thierry Van Rijswijck died in 1958 in a car accident in Vallauris.

Literature:
- Beeldhouwkunst in België vanaf 1830, Engelen-Marx, I-III, Engelen-Marx, Uitgeverij Studia, Algemeen Rijksarchief Brussel, 2002.
Deel III p. 1696-1699.
- Edgar Aubrey & Roger Guérin; ‘Van Art Nouveau tot Art Deco steen-goed’. (De keramiek van Edgard Aubrey & Roger Guérin.) Edition Het Clockarium VZW, 2007. P. 68 en 69.
- Rembrandt Bugatti en de Belgische dierensculptuur 1860-1930, Hessenhuis Antwerpen, L. Denys, Antwepen 1990. P. 206 t/m 212 en 222.
- Jean-Charles Hachet, Dictionnaire illustré des Sculpteurs & Fondeurs de l'Antiquité á nos jours" Volume I&II., Argus Valentines, limited edition 2005. Volume II: page 586.

Condition

Excellent