Léon Herbo, Templeuve 1850 - 1907 Ixelles, Belgian Painter, Portrait Of A Boy

Léon Herbo
Templeuve 1850 – 1907 Ixelles
Belgian Painter

Portrait of a Boy
Signature: Signed upper left
Medium: Oil on panel
Dimensions: Image dimensions 21 x 17 cm, frame dimensions 44 x 40 cm

Biography: Herbo Léon, born October 8, 1850 in Templeuve, was a renowned Belgian painter celebrated for his captivating portraits of women in casual settings, as well as his skillful depictions of actors and actresses. His talent extended to genre scenes, often imbued with orientalist themes, with his wife frequently serving as his muse. His artistic journey began at the Academy of Fine Arts in Tournai under the direction of Léonce Legendre, the director of the Academy. Subsequently, he refined his skills at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels from 1869 to 1874, placing at the top of the preparatory competition for the Prix de Rome. After numerous trips through Germany, Italy and France, he finally settled in Brussels. In 1875, Léon Herbo made his formal debut at the Salon van Brussel, continuing to exhibit his work there until the end of the century. In 1876, he co-founded "L'Essor", a progressive group that challenged the conservative standards of the Academies. His exhibitions extended beyond Belgium, encompassing presentations in Paris, at the Salon, as well as in Munich and Berlin. His notable achievements include an honorable mention at the Universal Exhibition in 1889. The same year, he collaborated with the animal painter Alexandre Clarys on a monumental canvas depicting the meeting of Queen Marie-Henriette with the military battalion that bore her name. Known for his prolific output, Herbo created many works for commercial purposes, intended for reproduction by chromolithography or decoration on porcelain. He gained particular fame as a portrait painter, offering fixed-price portraits with a guaranteed likeness. His reputation was such that he was often asked for posthumous portraits. A striking example is the portrait of the late Crown Prince of Belgium, Léopold Ferdinand, Count of Hainaut, commissioned by Queen Marie-Henriette. Léon Herbo died on June 19, 1907 in Ixelles. Although the majority of his paintings are in private collections, some are exhibited in prestigious institutions such as the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, the Museum of Painting and Sculpture in Kortrijk, and the Musée des Beaux -Arts of Tournai.