Jules van Biesbroeck

Acquired from the artist in Ghent by the grandfather of the present owner in 1938

Thence by descent to the present owner, Brazil

Biesbroeck was born in Portici in Italy, the son of painter Jules Biesbroeck Snr, who at the time was living there with his wife. Like his father, however, he studied at the Ghent Academy, training both as a painter and as a sculptor. In 1926 he made a trip to North Africa, where he was charmed by Algeria. The light and atmosphere he encountered marked a turning point in his artistic output. From then on, he painted almost exclusively scenes of everyday life in the Maghreb. Algiers had such a hold over him that he settled there for nine years, from 1929 until 1938. His studio, La Volière, became well-known throughout the city.