“Family scene” by Ferdinand de Braekeleer (Antwerp 1792 – 1883)

A “family discussion” genre scene, a young girl is debating a subject, surrounded by her parents. Outdoor scene. Oil on panel, signed and dated 1876. Stamp of the artist on the back. Nice condition. Modern frame.

Size : : H 45cm x W 38cm – H 62cm x W 54cm

Ferdinand de Braekeleer, Belgian School.

Lit : Anecdotal painter of portraits and historical and genre scenes. Coming from a poor family and then an orphan, Ferdinand de Braekeleer follows the class of the master M. Van Brée at the Antwerp Academy. From 1809 and 1811, he won several prizes and made a name for himself at the Salon of the Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts (Antwerp). Ferdinand de Braekeleer explored history painting or religious painting (churches of St. Sebastian in Wynegen in 1818 or the Church of Our Lady of Laeken in Brussels). With his painting “Tobias restores sight to his blind father”, he won the Prix de Rome of the city of Antwerp in 1819, which enabled him to discover, accompanied by Van Brée, the works of art and landscapes of Italy, after what he produced a sketchbook that was published in Brussels by the Royal Library. He also produced canvases on Italian subjects such as La fermière de Frascati (1822) or La Grotte de Neptune à Tivoli (1822).

Back in Antwerp, he was inspired by the old Flemish masters and turned towards the representation of anecdotal scenes. His paintings and engravings depicting historical subjects and genre scenes made him famous. His palette of colours and his smooth touch bring him closer to neo-classicism. He is the painter of happy faces ! He trained a large number of artists, starting with his sons, Ferdinand de Braekeleer (the Younger) (1828-1857) and Henri de Braekeleer (11 June 1840-20 July 1888), the most prominent painter in the family, his nephew Adrien Ferdinand de Braekeleer (1818-1904). He also trained painters such as Henri Leys, C. Wauters and K. Venneman. Curator at the Museums of Antwerp, member of the Royal Academy of Belgium (1847).

Works at the Cabinets of prints of Antwerp and Brussels, the Antwerp Museum, Brussels, Ghent, Ixelles, Berlin, Hamburg, Dunkirk.