Edmond Van de Vyvere is best known as a painter of Oudenaarde townscapes and landscapes of the Flemish Ardennes. He was the son of cabinetmaker and teacher Emile Van de Vyvere (1843-1917) and Julia Pety (+1916).

He was also a graphic artist, photographer, sculptor and designer and comes from a family that already earned their spurs in the drawing academy of the city of Hanske de Krijger and as furniture makers. He was educated both in Oudenaarde and in Ghent, where he obtained diplomas in painting, furniture decoration and modeling. In 1929 he became a teacher at the Sint-Lucas vocational school in his hometown and in 1922 at the Oudenaarde Academy of Arts where he was director for some time. The vocational school, by the way, had been co-founded in the 19th century by his grandfather Juliaan Van de Vyvere (1811-1887) in the form of a Sunday school for boys.

But besides that, he was above all a painter who put many corners of the city on canvas, famous buildings but also spots that have now disappeared such as the Burgschelde, Grachtschelde and Smallendam. The landscapes of the Flemish Ardennes, snowy or not, were also a source of inspiration. He was also a designer of local monuments and chapels, banners and logos for all kinds of associations, but he also drew portraits and painted still lifes.

Through his preserved glass plates, we witness unique images of his Oudenaarde. In addition to numerous family and group photos, there are also impressions of the destruction in the city during World War I.