Jean-François Portaels

Jean-François Portaels (Vilvoorde, April 3, 1818 - Schaerbeek, February 8, 1895) was a Belgian orientalist painter and director of the Academy of Brussels.

His father, a rich brewer, sent him to study in the Brussels Academy, and the director, François Navez, ere long received him as a pupil in his own studio. About 1841 Portaels went to Paris, where he was kindly received by Paul Delaroche.

. In 1849 he married the daughter of his first master, Navez, and in 1850 settled at Brussels; but as he failed in obtaining the post of director of the academy there, and wished, nevertheless, to carry, on the educational work begun by his father-in-law, he opened a private studio-school, which became of great importance in the development of Belgian art. He again made several journeys, spending some time in Morocco; he came back to Brussels in 1874, and in 1878 obtained the directorship of the academy which had so long been the object of his ambition.

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Museums

*Brussels, Koninklijke Musea voorSchone Kunsten van België
*Ostend, KaZ

See E. L. d Taeye, "Peintres belges contemporains"; J. du Jardin, L'Art flamand".

References

*1911