Abraham van den Boogaart was born in Delft, the son of a blacksmith. His parents did not welcome their son’s desire to become a painter and sent him to a technical school to become a decorator. During evenings Bogart was allowed to follow a correspondence course in drawing.
During 1937-1939 Bogart worked as a commercial artist for an advertising agency in Rotterdam. During the Second World War, Bogart went into hiding to avoid forced labour for the German army, and managed to paint a series of low-key Dutch landscapes.
After the liberation in 1945, Bogart started to develop his first rough-textured wall-like landscapes, building up his paintings in layers of matter. He associated with the artists of the ‘Art Informel’, a term referring to a loosely knit group practicing different forms of Abstraction.
During the 1950s Bogart settled in Paris for almost a decade and explored the possibilities of monochrome figurative paintings in the manner of Jean Dubuffet. It was his Parisian dealer that suggested the name Bram Bogart. In 1957 Bogart showed for the first time in the UK, as part of an Arts Council touring exhibition, and held his own among a group that included Dubuffet, Jean-Paul Riopelle, Pierre Soulages, and Karel Appel, Bogart's compatriot and a member of the Cobra group (Copenhagen, Brussels, Amsterdam). In 1958 Bogart had his first solo show in London, at Gimpel Fils gallery.
During 1958-1960 Bogart spent time in Rome, where he adopted colour. In 1960 Bogart moved to Belgium, first to Brussels, then to Ohain, in the province of Walloon Brabant. He took Belgian citizenship in 1969. During these years, Bogart ‘s paintings became increasingly thickly built up with layers of matter. Bogart had to devise his own metal stretchers to bear the weight of his work. For some artists, the material is an added value, but for Bogart the material is the value itself.
Although Bogart has used the same technique since the early 1960s, he has always been able to renew his painting and is considered one of the most important post-war matter painters.
Bogart's art entered collections all over Europe and was shown worldwide at museums including the Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam, the Guggenheim in New York, the Louvre and Pompidou Centre in Paris. Following Bogart’s passing in January 2012, The Cobra Museum, Amsterdam paid a long-awaited tribute to the ‘Master of Matter’, with a large retrospective show (Sept. 2012 - Jan. 2013). In 2014, Tate Modern acquired three works. In 2022, the Museum Prinsenhof, Delft, hosted a major retrospective of Bogart's work.
Bibliography
PAQUET, Marcel. Bram Bogart ou la peinture-peinture. Editions Athénée, Geneva, 1997
VAN DEN BUSSCHE, Willy. Bram Bogart Retrospectief. Oostende, 1995
PAQUET, Marcel. Bram Bogart. E.L.A. La Difference, Paris, 1990
PAQUET, Marcel. Peintures. E.L.A. La Difference, Paris, 1989
LEGRAND, Francine Claire. Bram Bogart. Lannoo, 1988
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2013, Bram Bogart - On the Roof in Paris, Galerie Richard, Paris
2007, Salon des Grand Antiques, Pierre Bergé, Brussels; Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London
2006, Fine Art Society, London, England
2005, Kunsthalle, Reckling Hausen, Germany, A Retrospective Exhibition 1950-2005
2004, Galerie d’art Inter Atrium, Barcelona, Spain; Monos Art Gallery, Li`ege, Belgium; Galerie Guy Pieters, Knokke-Heist, Belgium; Musée d’Art Moderne et d’Art Contemporain, Liege, Belgium
2002, Marlborough Gallery, New York, USA; Galerie Guy Pieters, St Paul de Vence, France; Galerie Weihergut, Salzburg, Austria; Galerie Pro Arta, Zürich, Switzerland
2001, Galerie Bloem-Bloem, Halle-Zoersel, Belgium; Galerie d’Arte Contemporanea, Palazzo Ducale, Pavullo, Italy; Galerie Venice Design, Venice, Italy; Galerie Willy Schoots, Kunstrai, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2000, Musée de Beaux-Arts de Mons, Mons, Belgium, A Retrospective Exhibition; Galerie Protée, Paris, France
1999, Willy Schoots Gallery, Eindhoven, The Netherlands; Espace Muséal de Bellevue, Biarritz, France, A Retrospective Exhibition 1939-1999; Musuem of St Lizier, France; Féte de la Mati`ere, Bussells Town Hall, Belgium; Musée d’Art Moderne et d’Art Contemporain, Nice, France; Musée de Beaux-Arts de Tours, Tours, France, A Retrospective Exhibition
1998, Galerie Remy Bucciali, Colmar, France; Galerie Mário Sequeria, Braga, Portugal; Willy Schoots Gallery, Kunstrai, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Enrico Navarra Gallery, Paris, France
1997, Galerie Venice Design, Venice, Italy; Cotthem Gallery, Barcelona, Spain, A Retrospective Exhibition
1996, Galerie Willy Schoots, Eindhoven Kunstmesse, Frankfurt, Germany; Museu Pinacoteca do Estado, São Paula, Brazil; Avanti Galleries, New York, USA
1995, PMMK, Museum voor Kunst, Ostend, Belgium, Bram Bogart Retrospective Paris,Brussels, Ohain, Kortenbos
1994, Avanti Galleries, New York, USA
1993, Reflex Modern Art Gallery, Amsterdam The Netherlands; Galerie Protée, Toulouse and Paris, France
1992, Galerie Protée, Toulouse, France. Peintures et gouaches; Galerie Cogeime, Confrontation, Casino, Knokke-le-Zoute, Belgium
Galerie Jamine Dessers, Hasselt, Belgium; Centre Culturel Le Botanique, Brussels, Belgium, A Retrospective Exhibition, 1939-1992
1991, Interior Art Gallery, Adornes Hallen, Bruges, Belgium; Galleria San Carlo, Milan, Italy, Opere dal 1955 al 1991; Galerie Protée, Paris, France
1990, André Emmerich Gallery, New York, USA; Galerie Art du XX si `ecle, Brussels, Belgium, Estampes en relief; Galerie Magnus Fine Arts, Ghent, Belgium, Works on paper 1953-1981; Sophie Van Morekerke and Axel Verhoustraeten Galleries, Brussels, Belgium; The Mayor Gallery, London, England; Praxis Galerie de Arte, Santiago, Chillie; Galerie Pascal Retelet, Charleroi, France; Galerie Willy Schoots, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
1989, Galerie Protée, Paris, France, A Retrospective Exhibition, 1952-1989
1988, The Mayor Gallery, London, England, A Retrospective Exhibition; Galere Willy d’Huysser, Knokke-le-Zoute, Belgium
1987, Galerie Baumgarten, Freiburg, Germany; Galeria Singulier-Pluriel B. Hamburski, Brussels, Belgium
1986, Galerie Marianne Hennemann, Bonn, Germany; Internationl Art Gallery, Lasne, Belgium
1985, Fondation Veranneman, Kruishoutem, Belgium
1984, Museum Boymans-van Beuningen, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Museum van Hedendaagse, Ghent, Belgium; Galerij Schalien Hoeve, Puurs, Belgium; Stedijk Museum het Prinsenhof, Delft, The Netherlands
1983, Galerie L’Aturiale, Casino, Knokke-le-Zoute, Belgium; Red and Blue Gallery, Maastricht, The Netherlands; Salle Koninklijke, Dekenij St. Pietersstation, Ghent, Belgium; Building des Assurances Générales, Ghent, Belgium
1982, International Art Gallery, Lasne, Belgium; Galerie Fabien de Cugnac, Brussels, Belgium; Galerie Collection d’Art, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
1981, Galerie Hennemann, Bonn, Germany; Fondation Veranneman, Casino de Knokke-le-Zoute, Belgium
1980, International Art Gallery, Lasne, Belgium; Galerie Nouvelle Images, The Hague, The Netherlands; Kunstmesse, Stand Galerie Dobbelhoef, Basel, Switzerland; Galerie Tambaran, Deventer, The Netherlands
1979, Galerie L’Aturiale, Liege, Belgium
1978, Galerie Switzerland de Paris, Paris, France; Galerie Alexandra Monett, Brussels, Belgium; Galerie Vecu, Antwerp, Belgium; Galerie Collection d’Art, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
1977, International Art Gallery, Lasne, Belgium; Galerie Orez Mobiel, The Hague, The Netherlands; Forum Kunst, Rottweil, Germany; Galerie Hennemann, Bonn, Germany; Galerie Georg Nothelfer, Berlin, Germany; Galerie Dobbelhoef, Kessel, Belgium
1976, Fondation Veranneman, Kruishoutem, Belgium
1975, Galerie Collection d’Art, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Galerie 92, Ostersund-Fröson, Sweden
1974, Galerie Salone Annunciata, Milan, Italy; Galerie Lens Fine Art, Antwerp, Belgium; Triennal, Beurshallen, Bruges, Belgium
1973, Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, Belgium; De Warande (Cercle d’Art), Turnhout, Belgium; Galerie Laurent, Geneva, Switzerland
Kumstmesse, Stand Galerie Lens Fine Art, Düsseldorf, Germany
1972, Galerie Plus-Kern, Ghent, Belgium; Galerie Kontakt, Antwerp, Belgium; Galerie Collection d’Art, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Badischer Kunstverein, Karlsruhe, Germany; Studio La Mano, Antwerp, Belgium
1971, Galerie Bernard, Soleure, Switzerland; Belgisches Haus, Cologne, Germany; Galerie Collection d’Art, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Galerie Kuhn, Aachen, Germany; Galerie Pro Arte, Morges, Switzerland; Galerie Flat 5, Bruges, Belgium; Galerie Annemarie Verna, Zürich, Switzerland
1970, Galerie Senior, Rome, Italy; Galerie Etalo, Ardooie, Belgium; Galerie Center, Antwerp, Belgium
1969, Galerie Larsson, Gävle, Sweden; Stedelijk Museum de Lakenhal, Leiden, The Netherlands; Galerie Bleue, Stockholm, Sweden
Galerie Orez, The Hague, The Netherlands; De Moriaan, ’F-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands; Galerie Eklund, Umea, Sweden
1968, Länsmuseet, Jönköping, Sweden; APIAW (Cercle d’Art), Li`ege, Belgium; Galerie Westing, Odense, Denmark
1967, Konsthalle, Göteborg, Sweden; Galerie Contrast, Ghent, Belgium; Stedelijk Museum, Schiedam, Holland; Galerie Veranneman, Brussels, Belgium; Konsthall, Lunc, Sweden
1966, Gävle Museum, Gävle, Sweden; Musée des Beaux-Arts, Verviers, Belgium; Galerie Westing, Odense, Denmark; Galerie Bleue, Stockholm, Sweden
1965, Galerie Internationale d’Art Contemporain, Paris, France; Galerie Ad Libitum, Antwerp, Belguim; Galerie Bernard, Soleure, Switzerland; Östersunds Museum, Östersunds Sweden; Galerie Carrefour, Brussels, Belgium
1964, Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, Belgium; Galerie Nova Spectra, The Hague, The Netherlands; Galerie Friedrich-Dahlem, Munich, Germany
1963, Gummesons Konstgalleri, Stockholm, Sweden; Lorensbergs Konstsalong, Göteborg, Sweden; Galerie Aujourd’hui, Brussels, Belgium; Galerie des Beaux-Arts, Biel, Switzerland; Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, Belgium
1962, Galerie Le Zodiaque, Brussels, Belgium; Sundsvalls Museum, Sundsvall, Sweden
1961, Galerie Bernard, Grenchen, Switzerland; Salon des Realites Nouvelles, Modern Art Museum, Paris, France; Galerie L’Attico, Rome, Italy
1960, Galerie Apollinaire, Milan, Italy; Galerie Helios Art, Brussels, Belgium
1959, Galerie 22, Düsseldorf, Germany; Rotterdamne Kunstkring-Museum, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Musée Boymans-van Beuningen, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, Belgium; Galerie L’Attico, Rome, Italy
1958, Gimpel Fils Gallery, London, England; Galerie Carabin, Brussels, Belgium
1956, Galerie Bignou, Paris, France; Galerie C.C.C., Schiedam, The Netherlands
1955, Galerie Creuze, Paris, France; Galerie Franc, Frankfurt, Germany; Galerie Bennewitz, The Hague, The Netherlands
1954, Galerie Creuze, Paris, France; Galerie De Eend, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
1953, Galerie Bennewitz, The Hague, The Netherlands
1951, Museum Lambert van Meerten, Delft, The Netherlands; Galerie Bennewitz, The Hague, The Netherlands
1950, Galerie Martin Cruson, Cannes, France
1943, Galerie Bennewitz, The Hague, The Netherlands
Group Exhibitions
2007, Gallery Clement, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2004, Musée du Luxembourg, Paris
2003, National Art History Museum, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
2002, Kunstmuseum, Brussels, Belgium; Fries Museum, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands; Winterthur, Switzerland
2001, Deutsches Meers Museum, Stralsund-Ausstellung, Germany; Museum van Bommel Van Dam, Venio, The Netherlands National Gallery Bangkok, Bangkok, Thailand
1994, Musée d’Art Moderne, Ostende, Belgium
1993, Municipal Museum, Cognac, France; Noordbrabants Museum, s’Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands; Musée Municipal, Cognac, France
1991, Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, Belgium; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; Hunter College City University, New York, USA Centre d’Art Georges Pompidou, Paris, France
1990, Tokyo Fair, Tokyo, Japan
1989, Musée d’Art Moderne, Ghent, Belgium
1988, Yurakucho Art Forum, Tokyo, Japan
1984, Stedelijk Museum de Lakenhal, Leiden, The Netherlands; Musée des Beaux-Arts, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
1983, The Hague Museum, The Hague, The Netherlands
1982, Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, Belgium; Musée de Beaux-Arts, Le Havre, France
1981, Museum Boymans-van Beuningen, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Provincial Museum voor Moderne Kunst, Musée de Lakenhal, Leiden, The Netherlands; Musée d’Ypres, Ypres, Belgium; Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, Belgium
1980, National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland; Ghent Museum of Contemporary Art, Ghent; Stedelijk Museum, Lokeren, Belgium
1978, Fondation Veranneman, Kruishoutem, Belgium
1976, Museum van Hedendaagse Kunst, Ghent, Belgium
1975, Palais des Beaux-Arts, Charleroi; St-Pieters-Andij, Ghent, Belgium; Musée de Neuchatel, Neuchatel, Switzerland; Musée d’Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium
1974, Kunsthistorische Instituut, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Musée de Reims, Reims, France
1973, Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels; Casino, Knokke-le-Zoute; Museum van Bommelvan Dam, Venlo, Belgium
1972, Musée Cantini, Marseille, France; Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, Belgium; Museum Boymans-van Beuningen, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Kunsthistorische Instituut, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
1971, Malmö Museum, Kalmar Konstmuseum, Sweden; Museo de Arte Moderno, Mexico, Mexico; Stand Galerie George Kaspek, Basle, Switzerland
1970, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Mons, Belgium
1969, Städtische Kunstgalerie, Bochum, Germany; Centraal Museum, Utrecht, The Netherlands
1968, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Antwerp, Belgium; Musée des Beaux-Arts, Mons, Belgium; Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, Belgium Musée de Lakenhal, Leiden, The Netherlands
1967, Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, Belgium; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Palais des Beaux-Arts, Charleroi, Belgium
1966 Palais des Beaux-Arts, Charleroi, Belgium; Musée de Louvre, Paris, France; Kunsthalle, Berne, Switzerland
1965, Palais des Beaux-Arts, Charleroi et St-Pieters Abdik, Ghent, Belgium; Finch College Museum of Art, New York; Stanford Museum, Connecticut, USA; Musée Rath, Geneva, Switzerland; Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, Belgium
1964, The Soloman R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, USA
1963, Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, Belgium; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
1962, Museum Boymans-van Beuningen, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
1961, Museo Civico, Turin; Musée de Li`ege, Belgium
1960, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, France; ICA, London, Matter Painting Tooth Gallery, London; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Salon des Réalités Nouvelles, Musée d’Arte Moderne, Paris, France
1959, Musée d’Arte Moderne, Vienna, Austria
1958, Palais des Beaux-Arts, Charleroi, Belgium; Städtisches Museum, Leverkusen, Germany; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Drentsmuseum, Enschede, The Netherlands
1957, Musée et Prinsenhof, Delft, The Netherlands
1956, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Suermonat Museum, Aachen, Germany
1955, Musée Prinsenhof, Delft, The Netherlands