t Felt Julien

Julien Ange-Marie ’t Felt (Sr) was a Belgian artist, born in Ghent in 1874 and died in Antwerp in 1933. He was a painter, draughtsman, engraver, lithographer, designer of wrought-iron and silverwork, and stained-glass artist. He was the youngest son of Charles ’t Felt. He studied at the Academy in Antwerp under the guidance of Ch. Boom, Ed. De Jans, J.W. Rosier, A.K. De Vriendt and K. Verlat. Together with J. Dupon and A. Collin he sketched animals at the Antwerp Zoo. Later he created still lifes, landscapes, picturesque corners, nudes, flowers and animals. His style was a nervous impressionist design with lively tonalities. Until 1914 he directed the family business founded by his father. He designed numerous posters and in 1897 produced about a dozen didactic plates for the Antwerp Zoo. He also provided the lithographic illustrations for, among others, De Kindervriend (1912). The satirical drawings he published during the First World War forced him to flee to the Netherlands, where he found refuge with the sculptor Toon Dupuis. There he drew countless portraits. In 1915 he went via England to Le Havre and then to Rouen, where he drew and painted portraits of English officers and war scenes. After the war he found his printing workshop looted and then joined the publishing house Patria, which rented his workspace. He illustrated the Golden Book of the City of Antwerp several times, designed flags and further expressed himself as an illustrator. His work can be found in the Print Rooms of Brussels and Antwerp. He is listed in Two Centuries of Signatures of Belgian Artists (Piron).