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In paintings such as Zwarte Zomer (Black

Summer) and Permeke, Jef Verheyen paints his

perception of the Flemish atmosphere, which is

rather dark. Later in the 1960s, he travels to Brazil,

Mexico, Tunisia, Spain, Italy and France in search

of light, which is everywhere different.

A northerner in search of southern light: Vincent

van Gogh went on the same quest before him.

In a letter written in Provence in 1889, Van Gogh

writes to his brother about the southern light:

‘Perhaps my journey into the south will bear

fruit, however, because the difference of the

stronger light, the blue sky, teaches one to see,

but especially and only if one looks at it for a long

time. (…) one must first and gradually accustom

one’s eyes to the different light.’

During his travels, Verheyen also writes in

his letters about the enchantment of the light.

‘Everything shimmers here!’ He tries to render

the essence of those impressions on canvas.