Paul Rouwette

Paul Rouwette attended the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp. An old institution, he was taught the traditional curriculum, which included anatomy. In his early career, Rouwette experimented with a variety of subjects, eventually picking women as the subject of his paintings. His subsequent success entailed a great deal of commissions for portraits. Abroad, Rouwette is lauded for his impressionist pieces of women in elaborate dress. Over the years, however, his style has changed from impressionist to expressionist, with his use of colour becoming more powerful and work becoming semi-abstract. His current work is wholly abstract yet does employ the artisanal techniques he is acquainted with. Rouwette does however also use new techniques that have allowed him to develop a distinctive style with these paintings. He paints in lovely oil paint tones, with a brush and palette, and looks for unity in the abstract. By placing his subjects in traditional compositions, his paintings take on a timeless quality.