Louis Verboeckhoven

Louis Verboeckhoven (1802, Comines-Warneton, Belgium - 1889, Brussels), full name Charles-Louis Verboeckhoven, was a Belgian marine painter in the Romantic style. He also was a landscape artist and animal painter. He received his artistic training by his father, Barthélemy, a sculptor, and his brother Eugène, an animal painter. In 1815, the family moved to Ghent, where Charles-Louis got interested in marine painting and came under the influence of Frans Balthasar Solvyns. In 1827, along with his father and brother, he settled in Brussels and exhibited two paintings, Angry Sea and Calm Sea, at the local Salon. His work enjoyed great popularity. In 1828 he moved to Antwerp. In 1830, he and his brother Eugène became involved in the political events and military actions that led to the independence of Belgium. Thereafter he exhibited many times in Belgium, in Brussels, Ghent and Antwerp, and in the provinces. Meanwhile he travelled a lot and frequented the Dutch, French and British coasts. From 1838 to 1889 he lived in Brussels. After 1842, he used brighter colors and his style became more realistic. Very often, the foreground figures were provided by his brother, who performed the same service for several well-known landscape painters. He was a member of the Salon de Paris and of the Academy of Amsterdam.