As
a result of Van Ryswyck's week health, he leaves school
at the age of fourteen. His father therefor suggests
him to pursue a career in the arts. After spending
a short time in the workshop of a local architect, he
gets eventually admitted to the Royal Academy for Fine
Arts in Antwerp. Here, Van Ryswyck takes lessons from
Jean Guillaume Rosier (1858-1931). Due to his feeble
nature, he often misses his classes.
Edward Van Ryswyck, grandson of
an important local popular poet and nephew of the major
of Antwerp Jan Van Ryswyck, for the first three years
of his career he mainly studies botanical subjects. After
those three years he 'll go to the Antwerp Zoo and observes
various animals there. At the age of nineteen he paints
' Arenden vechtende om een prooi '. For this occasion he
receives personal best wishes from the King of Belgium and
gets a scholarship from the Society for encouragement of
Fine Arts.
Baron Osy, a personal friend
of his father, insists that Edward should apply for
decoration painting. This would ensure financial
security in the future. But Edward Van Ryswyck however
wants more. He succeeds in selling some of his paintings
and obtains a letter of recommendation for the Belgian
ambassador in Paris, Baron Baeyens. With this letter he
travels to the French metropolis and becomes an apprentice
at the Julian Academy. His teachers are the famous
painters of historical subjects such as Jean Paul Laurens
(1838-1921) and Benjamin Constant (1845-1902). In order
to supplement his finances, Van Ryswyck is forced to work
in the studio of a decoration painter and makes copies
of famous paintings in the Louvre. Three years later
he returns to his native soil.
During World War I, Van
Ryswyck stays in The Netherlands and starts the
portrait painting there. Soon he gets overwhelmed by
commissions and lives a comfortable life. After the
war, Van Ryswyck returns to Belgium and leads a
succesful life until his death in 1931. Because of the
high level of his works, he is often thought of being
a student of the famous Anwerp painter, Charles Verlat
(1824-1890).
As a realistic painter of
landscapes and still lifes, Van Ryswyck owns a
strong technical skill in painting still lifes
with flowers, fish, fruit and wild animals.
In his still lifes, he reminds us of the illustrious
Antwerp painters from the 17th century, such as Frans
Sneyders (1579-1657) and Jan Fyt (1611-1661). Van Ryswyck
works in a studio on the Oude Kerkstraat in Antwerp for
a very long period. He also stays at an atelier on the
Van Geeststraat in Borgerhout for a considerable time.
In Brasschaat, Edward Van Ryswyck builds processions,
designs pomp wagons and such more.
Van Ryswyck participates in
a lot of expositions. From February eight to March ninth
1908, he also joins the artshow in the " Cities
Celebrating room ", at the Meir in Antwerp, with his works.
