The Impressionist movement was late to gain a foothold in Luxembourg art. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were several painters who broke down the light in their works; however the only true Impressionist is Dominique Lang (1874-1919).

Born in Dudelange in 1874 into a family of well-to-do farmers, Lang always gave nature pride of place in his creative work. After a few drawing lessons at the Luxembourg Athaeneum (1894/95), he continued his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp (1895-1900). He spent four months visiting Lombardy and Rome, returning to his hometown in 1901. In 1906, while at the Munich School of Painting, he became fascinated by Impressionism and photography, and later on he opened a photographic studio in Dudelange. He qualified as an art teacher in 1911 and from then on taught at the Lycée des Jeunes Filles and the École Industrielle in Esch-sur-Alzette.

Painted in 1913, our work entitled The Weir perfectly illustrates a fleeting impression transposed into a well-balanced composition. The painter was able to capture a particular atmosphere by applying brisk brush strokes, perfectly breaking down the colours and playing with contrasts. An intense light emanates from the canvas.

The work was well received at the 1914 Salon du Cercle Artistique. Later on, Lang’s work evolved towards Neo-Impressionism and was close to the style of Signac and Seurat. He focused more and more on rural landscapes, especially during World War I.

Text | CC BY-NC | Malgorzata Nowara