Attestation by Odette Huys, the artist's daughter in law
Provenance
Acquired directly from the artist by the current owner's grandfatherFAIR AT THE RIVER LYS
Barracks, stalls, tents here comes the village fair! Joy and amusement tempt people to the banks of the river Lys. It's terribly busy. A merry bunch of men and women dressed in their Sunday best occupy the scene. It's a beautiful, warm and sunny day. While only a few dare the sun, the majority searches for coolness in the shade of the trees.
From 1903-1904, Machelen and its surroundings attracted the attention of Modest Huys. There he found the perfect incentives to depict popular exuberances like processions, fairs, fireworks and other entertainment. He always painted with refined colors and with a striking sense of observation. His entire oeuvre is situated at the river Lys. He was drawn almost obsessively to the banks of the "Golden River". His artworks thus create a strong historical and documentary image of his everyday environment in the first decades of the 20th century.
