Alfred Verhaeren
Alfred Verhaeren (Brussels, 8 October 1849 – Ixelles, 10 February 1924) was a Belgian painter known for his portraits, interior scenes, architectural paintings and still lifes. He participated in the second wave of Belgian Realism and was later influenced by Impressionism. Life Alfred Verhaeren was born in Brussels. He was the cousin of the poet Émile Verhaeren. He studied at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts of Brussels under Jean-François Portaels and Louis Dubois. He studied still lifes by the old masters to perfect his technique. Verhaeren was a member of the group of artists called Chrysalide founded in Brussels in 1875 and to which belonged artists such as James Ensor, Constantin Meunier and Frans Van Leemputten. Chrysalide held its first exhibition in 1876 and the last one in 1881. Verhaeren remained independent for a while until he joined the Cercle Pour l'Art. He later joined an association for young artists, which was given the Dutch name Voorwaarts ('Forward') in 1885. Co-founders were Franz Meerts and Louis Baretta. Its motto was: Hooger is ons doel ('Higher is our goal'). What is remarkable is both the Dutch-language name of the association and the Dutch-language motto. Its members included Ernest Hoerickx, Léon Massaux,