Born in Belgium in 1897, Emile Jacques Grumieaux was the son of notable landscape painter Louis P. Grumieaux, whose work is also well represented in Mongerson Gallery’s inventory. After immigrating to the United States, Grumieaux studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts and was exhibited actively in many Chicago-area shows throughout the 1920s and 1930s. Focusing on landscapes, regionalist scene paintings, and still lifes, Grumieax traveled widely throughout his career and painted throughout the Midwest, Belgium, France, England, and Canada. His work can be found in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, and he has exhibited at numerous other institutions such as the Toronto Art Museum, the Illinois Academy of Fine Art, the University of Michigan, the Kansas City Museum, and the Detroit Museum.
Grumieaux’s picturesque images possess a tranquil, almost weightless quality; bold blocks of color and tactile brushwork allow the scenes to breathe. Through simplifying his compositions to just the most essential elements, Grumieaux chooses geometric flow and formal unity over painstaking detail, bringing a fresh perspective to traditional subject matter. In a 1933 artist statement, Grumieaux emphasized this approach, writing, “Every completed picture marks a step forward in the elimination of unessential detail.”
