Canal View of Bruges – The Beguinage

Van Middel Maurice ( Van Middel Maurits) was born in 1886 in Bruges. He was a Belgian painter and draughtsman. He painted Bruges townscapes, marines, portraits and figures among others lace-workers. He found his inspiration in the Bruges Beguinage.

Van Middel studied at the Bruges Academy of Fine Arts under master teacher and artist Edmond van Hove (1851 – 1913) and was a classmate of Constant Permeke (1886 – 1952) and Achille Sassenbrouck (1886 – 1979).

He was very discreet and worked in complete silence. He exhibited for the first time in 1931 at the art gallery “Memlinc” in Bruges. `

Many of his works were bought by Brussels private collectors, so that little of his works circulated on the market. Bruges School painter died in 1952. Today his works gives us a nice picture of the beautiful canal-based city of Bruges.