Eugène Verdyen 1836-1903

Eugène Verdyen studied at the Brussels Academy (1860–1864) and was one of the first pupils of Jean-François Portaels in his private studio. He traveled to Italy, North Africa in 1874, and Turkey.

Passionate about depicting reality, Verdyen was closely associated with the artists of the ‘Société libre des Beaux-Arts’, although he maintained his independence and never formally joined any group. He worked with a palette of rich colors. In 1860, he settled in Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, where he became a municipal councilor. He taught at the Brussels Academy from 1891 to 1903. He also contributed illustrations to Lemonnier’s book La Belgique, published in 1888.

Verdyen is considered one of the precursors of Impressionism in Belgium.