Oil on canvas, signed J. Van de Maele. Jozef Van de Maele, born in Tielt (Belgium) on 31st March 1897 and died in Bruges on 14th July 1968. In good condition, but there is one chip missing in the paint (see the photo for the details). Beautiful Art Deco - framework. Dimensions: With the frame 69 x 64 cm. Without the frame 60 x 55 cm. JOZEF VAN DE MAELE °Tielt 31st March 1897 † Brugge 14th July 1968. He trained at the Kunstacademie van Roeselare in 1920. He became a board member of the 'Kunstkring' of Roeselare and exhibited in 1939. He painted landscapes, townscapes, streets, churches, fishing villages, flowers, and still lifes. His works were always well prepared and painted after the reality with warm superimposed glowing touches of colour, the quality of which has been preserved to this day. His friend Alfons Blomme, a contemporary from Roeselare and a popular painter, lived in De Haan and was known, among other things, for making the portrait of Einstein and the painting lessons he gave to his stepdaughter when Einstein stayed in De Haan. Joseph often stayed in De Haan by the sea at Alfons. He painted the sea and the many landscapes and churches in the surrounding villages of Lissewege, Westkapelle and Damme. Jozef Van de Maele was a strong yet modest personality with care for thoroughness and integrity. Opportunism was foreign to him, however many works remained in private ownership. A retrospective in the Alfons Blomme Museum in 2001, organized by his cousin Jean Devriendt who collected Joseph's works from an early age, came as a pleasant surprise to the inhabitants of the region. A unit of three large works 'Hemel Aarde Vagevuur' is now hanging in the St-Germanus church of Egem and in the Groeningemuseum in Bruges his work 'Het Boterhuis' has been included in the collection. Perhaps due to family ties, there are also privately owned works in a part of America where they are highly valued at auctions.