During the tumultuous year of 1905, Elie Borgrave entered the mortal realm in Brussels, descendent of a Belgian count by the name of Camille de Borchgrave d’Altena and an American socialite, Ruth Snyder. Born into luxury and prestige, his upbringing in World War I led him to eventually reside in the United Kingdom for a brief period before settling in the United States for his adolescence. It was here, in the bustling city of Paris in 1937, that Borgrave’s love affair with the art world began. Inspired by the likes of renowned artists such as Picasso, Klee, Gris, and Braque, he knew from that moment on he was destined to become a painter.
However, fate intervened and World War II forced Borgrave to flee to Brazil. Despite the challenges of adapting to a new country, he was able to make a living as a golf instructor for none other than President Vargas himself. But as the war raged on, Borgrave longed to return to the vibrant art scene of Europe. In 1941, he made his way back to the continent, specifically the United Kingdom, where he crossed paths with Jankl Adler, a well-respected abstract painter from Poland who had been exiled to London from the Bauhaus. Adler would become Borgrave’s mentor, inspiring him to dive deeper into the study of art history and eventually creating his first drawings and paintings. It was during this time that Borgrave adopted the pseudonym ELDEREN, paying homage to a small town in the Belgian province of Limburg.
By 1945, Borgrave found himself back in his home country of Belgium, where he made a trip to Paris and had the opportunity to meet the renowned Paul Klee as well as influential Dutch artists, Geer and Bram Van Velde. The following year, he proudly presented his work at the esteemed “Salon des Réalités Nouvelles” alongside other notable artists like Vasarely, Poliakoff, and the Van Velde brothers. Yet, Borgrave’s journey was far from over. In 1948, he made the bold decision to emigrate to the United States, settling in Stonington, Connecticut and establishing his own art academy. From that point on, he began to sign his paintings with a simple monogram, the Greek letter E, or Epsilon.
Now, through the lens of enigmatic complexity and linguistic dynamism, explore the works of this esteemed artist, delving into the unique mind of Elie Borgrave. Allow his pieces to speak for themselves, as symbols of his journey and his everlasting impact on the art world as we know it.
www.ftn-books.com has 1 Borgrave title available.
