Drilling a Well (sketch)

Edouard Agneessens belongs to a generation of Belgian portrait painters who, around the middle of the nineteenth century, began to distance themselves from academic art. Characteristic of his oeuvre is the spontaneous manner of painting and the natural simplicity in the composition and pose of his figures. Besides portraits, he is also known to have made preliminary studies for realistic group scenes in the style of Constantin Meunier, for example sketches for a slave market or for bricklayers at work. Growing insanity prevented Agneessens from executing these in large format. This oil sketch in a sober and warm colour scheme gives a good idea of the artist's direct and lively style.