A Pioneer of Light: The Life and Art of Théo van Rysselberghe Théophile “Théo” van Rysselberghe, born in Ghent, Belgium, in 1862, emerged as a pivotal figure bridging the gap between Impressionism and Neo-Impressionism. His journey wasn’t one of immediate stylistic conviction but rather an evolving exploration sparked by travel, intellectual exchange, and a relentless pursuit of capturing light's essence. Coming from a comfortably bourgeois French-speaking family, van Rysselberghe received his initial artistic training at the Academy of Ghent under Theo Canneel, followed by studies at the pr…