Edmond de Grimberghe 1865-1920

Born in 1865 in Köniz, Switzerland, into a Belgian aristocratic family, Edmond Jules Adélaïde Helman, Count of Grimberghe, trained at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris under Gustave Boulanger and Jules Lefebvre. He settled permanently in the capital, first on rue Chaptal in the 9th arrondissement, later moving to boulevard Haussmann, and made his debut at the Brussels Salon in 1887.

Following an important study trip to Egypt, he returned with numerous sketches and paintings imbued with a subtle exoticism, distinguishing himself from the more conventional Orientalist style of the period. In 1890, he exhibited a view of the Fayoum Oasis during his first participation in the Salon des Artistes Français (cat. no. 1111).

A cosmopolitan figure, Edmond de Grimberghe was also an accomplished fencer, a member of the Contre-de-quarte, and hosted artistic and literary evenings in his studio attended by his friend, Prince Ali-Fazil of Egypt, as well as members of the Parisian aristocracy. Ever an adventurer, in 1895 he ascended to 4,200 meters in a balloon piloted by aeronaut Henri Lachambre, traveling from Paris to Rozoy-sur-Serre to paint celestial landscapes. In 1900, he joined an expedition to Abyssinia led by his fellow student Aimé Morot.

He exhibited regularly, presenting refined and elegant works that met with considerable success, and was made a Knight of the Legion of Honour in 1906.