Melsen Marten Artwork valuations, appraisals and auction estimates

Marten Melsen was born in Brussels on 11 July 1870. He was a famous Flemish painter, trained at the college of master Stobbaerts in Brussels in the 1880s. Read the full biography

Marten Melsen was born in Brussels on 11 July 1870. He was a famous Flemish painter, trained at the college of master Stobbaerts in Brussels in the 1880s. Initially, he received proposals for decoration work and painted some portraits of family and friends. These portraits testify to his great technical mastery and talent. In the following years, Melsen crossed the polders of the Belgian-Dutch region for four months in the company of his colleague Louis Houwaert, choosing local farmers as his subjects. This allowed the artist to learn about popular habits and to deepen his study of peasant life. In 1897, he rented a small house in Stabroek at the place called Hoogeind, where he painted many of his most famous works. In 1899, Melsen became a member of the renowned Aze Ick Kan art circle in Brussels and the Labeur art circle. He also participated in art fairs organized by the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts, to which he sent some of his most important works. He traveled extensively, visiting cities such as Paris, The Hague, Amsterdam, Germany, Switzerland and Italy. Melsen died in Stabroek in 1947.