Self-portrait Belgium
Paul Bril was a prominent Flemish painter, best known for his significant contributions to landscape painting. Born around 1554 in Antwerp, he later moved to Rome, where he became a central figure in the art scene, influencing the Italian and Northern European landscape painting traditions.
Paul Bril's early works were steeped in the Flemish manner, exhibiting a picturesque arrangement of landscape elements with dramatic contrasts of light and dark. His style evolved during his stay in Rome, influenced by the work of Annibale Carracci and Adam Elsheimer. By around 1605, Bril's compositions became more serene and classical, showcasing calmer transitions from foreground to background and embracing pastoral and mythological themes.
Paul Bril's contributions extended beyond his paintings. He was a respected figure in Rome's art community, becoming the first foreign director of the Accademia di San Luca in 1621. His patrons included some of the most influential families in Rome, and his work was sought after by collectors and fellow artists. Bril's influence was profound, impacting future generations of artists, including the Dutch Italianates and genre painters active in Rome.
His works can be found in prestigious galleries worldwide, illustrating his enduring legacy in the art world. For collectors and art and antiques experts, Paul Bril's work represents a significant period in the evolution of landscape painting, blending Flemish traditions with Italian classicism.
For those interested in exploring the captivating landscapes and historical significance of Paul Bril's art, staying informed about new product sales and auction events is essential. Signing up for updates can provide valuable insights and opportunities to acquire pieces associated with this influential artist.
André Edmond Alfred Cluysenaar was a Belgian painter. He was especially known for portraits and female figures. He was member of the Cluysenaar family, descendant from a long line of architects who originated in Aachen. He received his first art lessons from his father, then studied with François-Joseph Navez. Initially, he worked as a sculptor, but devoted himself entirely to painting after 1902. He was firmly grounded in the romantic style at first; producing still lifes and genre scenes, but later turned to impressionism and painted mostly female figures, often semi-nude. He also executed monumental ceiling paintings for the City Hall in Saint-Gilles. During World War I, he lived in London where he established a reputation painting portraits of notable people, including the Royal Family, which were done in a more commercial style using Alfred Stevens as a model. Most of these portraits may be seen in the National Gallery.
Léon Marie Constant Dansaert was an outstanding Belgian artist and illustrator. His work has left a significant trace in the world art history and art history due to his unique style and skill as a painter.
Léon Marie Constant Dansart was famous for his portraits and genre scenes, which were characterised by a deep psychological understanding of the models. In his works, the desire to convey not only the physical resemblance, but also the inner world of the portrayed personalities is clearly visible.
Jules De Bruycker, a Belgian graphic artist and etcher, is renowned for his depictions of Ghent, cathedrals, war scenes, and book illustrations. He achieved technical virtuosity in his prints and was considered one of Belgium's greatest etchers. His work showcased crowds and dramatic lighting, providing an intimate view of daily life in Ghent. De Bruycker's influences ranged from Flemish traditions to artists like Brueghel, Bosch, and Ensor. His later work included prints of cathedrals, figure studies, and sensuous nudes. De Bruycker's art greatly influenced his contemporaries, including Gustave van de Woestijne.
Jean-Joseph Delvin was a Belgian painter who specialized in scenes with animals (primarily horses). He attended the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent, where he studied under Théodore-Joseph Canneel, and worked in the studios of Jean Portaels in Brussels. Later, he undertook study trips to France and Spain. For many years, he shared a small workshop in a garden shed with Gustave Den Duyts. In 1883, he was invited to join the secessionist group Les XX, but he resigned only a few years later in 1886. He was also a member of La Libre Esthétique and Kunst van Heden (Art for Today) in Antwerp. At about that time, he began teaching at the Academy in Ghent and later became its Director (1902–1913). Among his many well-known students there were Albert Baertsoen, Gustave De Smet, Frans Masereel, George Minne and Frits Van den Berghe.
Gustave Den Duyts was a Belgian painter, watercolourist, pastelist, etcher and graphic artist, known for his landscapes. His graphic work quickly gained attention. His etchings won him a prize in 1875 in the competition run by the journal "Journal des Beaux-Arts". On the other hand, at the Fifth Exhibition of the Vereniging der Gentsche Kunstoefenaren his painting received criticism because of being too modern. Its indefinite forms forced the viewer to squint in order to make it out and this vagueness of definition is now regarded as a forerunner of Flemish impressionism. Much of his work was townscapes or landscapes with a melancholic feeling, often with a setting sun or a rising moon and typically done in autumn or winter. The landscapes are usually bare, skeletal and stylized, betraying the fact that he was a skilled etcher, but never detailed. Human or animal figures are not sharply defined but appear to dissolve into the background.
Willem Jacob Herreyns, the Younger, was a Flemish painter of history subjects and portraits. He is regarded as one of the last painters in the tradition of the Flemish Baroque and the last follower of Peter Paul Rubens. Herreyns’ work was very highly regarded in his time. His religious compositions stand in the Rubens tradition. Herreyns is considered a draughtsman with a precise line, but his work shows a certain coldness and lacks originality.
Hendrik Hondius I was a Flemish-born and trained engraver, cartographer, and publisher who settled in the Dutch Republic in 1597. Hondius was apprenticed in Brussels to Godfried van Ghelder, goldsmith to Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma. He also studied drawing with the engraver Jan Wierix of Antwerp. At this time he started to study engraving. He applied himself to mathematics and studied perspective, architecture and the construction of fortifications. He moved to The Hague by 1597. He obtained his first print privilege for a portrait of Prince Maurits. He dedicated himself to his engraving practice. His work was very well received and he got commissions from many eminent personalities for engravings or drawings. He turned more to publishing rather than engraving and printing in the 1630s. His publications were mainly maps, books about fortifications and official portraits.[5] He also reused original plates and blocks by earlier artists for reprinting and such reprints represented almost a third of his publishing output. In the 1640s he returned to printing concentrating exclusively on etching. One of the most important publications of Hondius was the work Pictorum aliquot celebrium praecipue Germaniae inferioris Effigies (Effigies of some celebrated painters, chiefly of Lower Germany) of 1610, which was a collection of 69 portraits of mainly Netherlandish artists.
Jef Lambeaux, full name Joseph Marie Thomas Lambeaux, was a Belgian sculptor who combined realism and the Renaissance.
Lambeaux studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp and was a member of the Van Beers clique, a group of eccentric young artists that also included the artists Piet Verhart (1852-1908) and Alexander Streiss (1852-1941). He later became a founder of the Brussels-based avant-garde group Les Vingt.
Lambeaux's sculptures have often provoked mixed reactions, but they are a reinterpretation of Renaissance and Baroque body image. Turning to classical themes in depicting nudes in motion, Lambeaux created many fountain figures, park sculptures and monuments. Among them is the Brabo Fountain, which has become a landmark in Antwerp. For the 1897 World's Fair pavilion, he created a large-scale marble bas-relief "Temple of Human Passion", which was condemned by the Catholic Church for being a "marble brothel".
The sculptor was known for his love of competitive wrestlers and boxers, and adored circus performances. Scenes of struggle and love are a constant theme of Lambeaux's work. His sculpture "Wrestlers" is also inspired by the popular Renaissance theme of two naked bodies straining all their strength in an extreme struggle.
In 1903, Jef Lambeaux became a member of the Royal Belgian Academy.
Henry Luyten was a Belgian painter of Dutch origin. He is known for his genre scenes, landscapes and portraits.
Henry Luyten was influenced by the 19th century Hague School and the Barbizon School, as well as 17th century Dutch and Flemish painting.
Jean-François Portaels was a distinguished Belgian painter. He is celebrated for his mastery in Orientalist art, genre scenes, and portraits. His education under the tutelage of François-Joseph Navez at the Academy of Brussels shaped his early artistic direction.
Portaels' career was marked by significant academic roles, including his tenure as the director of the Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent and later the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels. His influence extended beyond Belgium through his extensive travels across Europe and North Africa, where he absorbed and later depicted the exotic and vibrant cultures of Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, and Lebanon.
His works, such as "The Oriental Beauty" and "Portrait of Aouicha," are celebrated for their detailed depiction of Eastern subjects, characterized by elaborate costumes and serene expressions. These paintings not only display his technical skill but also his ability to convey the subtle nuances of different cultures.
Portaels was also a key figure in monumental art in Belgium, contributing to national identity through his historical and biblical scenes painted for many Belgian churches. His legacy is preserved in his contributions to the Belgian Orientalist school and his role in shaping the next generation of Belgian artists.
For collectors and experts in art and antiques, Jean-François Portaels' works offer a unique glimpse into the 19th-century Orientalist movement. To stay informed about exhibitions and sales featuring Portaels' art, sign up for our updates and ensure you don't miss out on acquiring a piece of this influential artist's legacy.
Sophie Rude, née Sophie Frémiet, was a French portrait painter and wife of the sculptor François Rude.
She worked in France and in Belgium. In Brussels, Sophie was a successful artist, receiving many commissions, including several for the former royal palace.
Sophie Rude painted mostly neoclassical style portraits as well as paintings on mythological, historical and religious subjects. Her depiction of the nymph Pirena was awarded a gold medal at an exhibition in 1824.
Walter Constant Renerus Vaes was a Belgian painter and etcher. Spent his early years in Liverpool, England. Education in painting and etching under Piet Verhaert, an uncle by marriage. From 1900 student at the Academy in Antwerp under A. de Vriendt. He mainly painted landscapes, still lifes and flowers. Winner of the Rome Prize in 1904 г.
Pieter (Pierre) van Hanselaere was a Belgian painter in the neoclassical style, who specialized in portraits and religious and historical scenes. In his early days he specialized in portraiture and achieved a high level of technical perfection. Due to the Napoleonic wars he was not able to leave for Italy until 1816; when he did, he first stayed in Rome and painted portraits of some high-ranking officials, before moving to Naples and achieving success there as well, becoming the painter for the royal court.
Joseph Henri François Van Lerius was a Belgian painter in the Romantic-Historical style. Van Lerius painted mythological and biblical scenes as well as portraits and genre pictures. Much of his work is didactic in nature. Perhaps his best-known work is "Lady Godiva", which was shown at the Antwerp Triennial Salon in 1870. Many of his works (especially "Lady Godiva" and "Cinderella") have been widely reproduced.
Charles Verlat was a Belgian painter, watercolorist, engraver (printmaker), art educator and director of the Antwerp Academy. He painted many subjects and was particularly known as an animalier and portrait painter. He also created Orientalist works, genre scenes, including a number of singeries, religious compositions and still lifes.
He was a professor of drawing and director of the Antwerp Academy when Vincent van Gogh spent a brief period as a student at the Academy in 1886. The two men got into arguments about van Gogh's unconventional style of drawing.