Portrait Of Young Neapolitan Man By Leon Herbo (1850-1907) Belgian School

*Léon Herbo, a Belgian painter, was born on October 8, 1850, in Templeuve and died on June 19, 1907, in Ixelles.
He trained at the Academy of Fine Arts in Tournai and the Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels, where he studied under Léonce Legendre and Joseph Stallaert.
Specializing in genre scenes and portraiture, Herbo became one of the founding members of the progressive artistic circle L’Essor in 1879.
He exhibited regularly in Belgium, France, and Germany, receiving awards such as a gold medal at the 1883 Paris Exposition.

As a renowned portraitist, Herbo was often commissioned to paint portraits after the deceased. He also painted numerous actors, artists, and other prominent figures, as well as Orientalist and erotic scenes.  He taught at the Brussels Academy of Fine Arts, eventually becoming its director, and had talented students such as Théo Van Rysselberghe.

Among his most notable works are the portrait of the Belgian Crown Prince, Leopold Ferdinand, Count of Hainaut, as well as jubilee portraits of guilds and historical scenes. Herbo also created monumental canvases in collaboration with other artists, such as "The Meeting of the Marie-Henriette Squadron" at the Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History in Brussels.

Léon Herbo was married to Anna Léontine Snel, who often served as his model for his paintings. The couple had two children. Herbo is honored in his hometown of Templeuve with a street named after him.