The Last Flemish Primitive: Jan Vercruysse’s Self-Fashioning of Artisthood and National Identity

In 1989, the artist Jan Vercruysse (1948–2018) stated that he was “the last Flemish Primitive”. This comment, despite being only a fragment of lengthy interview with Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev, became trope in subsequent writings on Vercruysse. I argue statement part deliberate strategy by shaping his identity as (Belgian) artist. First, focus Vercruysse’s Portraits Artist (1979–1984), series photographic works which uses genre self-portrait—thereby implicitly referring to Primitives—as means express constructedness artistic identity. Second, explore construction and relationship vis-à-vis notion Belgian art. Finally, uttered 1989 will be contextualized within changing political cultural context Belgium Flanders 1980s. demonstrate how can read invoking radically different conception art during this period.