Born in Rotterdam, but French in all his veins , there is still a discussion going on if he is a dutch or a french painter. For me he is 100% french. Practically all his subjects and his registration in paint or drawing of daily life is done in France and influenced in every way possible by French society. He was famous for his portraits of society men and woman ( possibly his most famous portrait is of Brigitte Bardot), but his strength for me is when he watched and depicted french daily life.
For instance the painting which he made on the Moulin de la Galette ( 1904-1905) is one of the very best paintings of the end of the early 20th century and a breakthrough in Modern art and for van Dongen himself, finding eventually a style which in bright unnatural colors ( like green and pink, reality was depicted). Fauvism was born in the work by van Dongen.
www.ftn-books.com has some nice titles on this great artist
