Four Belgian Painters at Work (1952): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1952, Four Belgian Painters at Work is a documentary film directed by Paul Haesaerts, running about 34 minutes.

What it’s about. Belgian art historian and filmmaker Paul Haesaerts (1901–1974) made a significant contribution to the promotion of modern Flemish art. In the late 1940s, he started experimenting with the medium of film to practice a new form of lens-based art criticism. The understudied documentary "Quatre peintres belges au travail" (1952) presents Belgian artists Edgar Tytgat, Albert Dasnoy, Jean Brusselmans and Paul Delvaux at work in their studio. On a large sheet of glass placed in front of the camera, they each paint one of the seasons that also represent a stage in a person’s life. A close reading of this Kodachrome color film sheds light on the context of mid-century art reproductions, mass media and post-war Flemish culture. It also examines in what way this film operates as Haesaerts’s concept of cinéma critique, while raising questions as to the way Haesaerts attempted to reconcile the spatial art of painting with the temporal medium of film.

Who’s in it. Four Belgian Painters at Work stars Edgard Tytgat as Self, Albert Dasnoy as Self, Jean Brusselmans as Self and Paul Delvaux as Self.

How it landed. With an audience score of 7.8/10, Four Belgian Painters at Work has been warmly received by audiences.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Four Belgian Painters at Work page.

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