de Braekeleer Ferdinand
Ferdinand De Braekeleer (Sr.) was a Belgian painter who was born in Antwerp in 1792 and who died there in 1883. He was the father of Henri and Ferdinand De Braekeleer (Jr.). He was educated at the Academy of Antwerp under the direction of M. Van Brée. In 1819 he was the first holder of the Prix de Rome. He became well known for his folk genre scenes with a strong narrative slant and, in the use of his color scheme and smooth invoice, he was in line with the style of neoclassicism. His extensive oeuvre is somewhat monotonous in conception and execution: he often repeated the same composition several times. In his bourgeois corny, he is closer to David Wilkie's good-natured humor than William Hogarth's biting satire. He deliberately linked up with 17th century genre painting. He was mockingly called le peintre officiel des physionomies heureuses. He was a member of the Antwerp city council and co-organizer of the Rubens festivities in Antwerp in 1840. His work can be found in the museums in Antwerp, Brussels and Ghent, among other places. He is mentioned in BAS I and Two Centuries of Signatures of Belgian Artists. (piron)