He was born Netherlands in 1940, went to the Art Academy in Maastricht and then to the Belgian Institute of Arts in Antwerp.
He had exhibitions in Netherlands, in Belgium, Germany, France, US and Japan.
He is very popular indeed. Unfortunately more on the commercial side, ever present in the catalog of all the companies that offer framing / art prints / posters online.
I am not going to lie, most of his works I don’t like.
They are often are much too romantic, better suited as a background for the credits in a soap opera series than in an art gallery.
And that is entirely because of the idyllic, all too sweet subjects depicted in his works.
But his choice of subjects apart, Willem Haenraets does have talent.
He uses water color and acrylic and hues so delicate that they add a sort of mystery to the scene.
I have chosen 3 works for you to see, which I really like. Have a look at the ethereal ladies in the first two.
They have this look as if captured mid-flight, somehow floating over the shapeless landscape into which they almost blend.
I like the eerie air, when in small doses, makes them look like the standstill of a dream.
I hope you will enjoy them too.
He does not have a website in the true sense of the word but www.willemhaenraets.com will point you too a section dedicated to him hosted at Waterland Art Press.
