Jean Baptiste van Eycken
Jean Baptiste van Eycken (16 September 1809 – 19 December 1853) was a Belgian historical and religious painter. Life Van Eycken was born at Brussels, Belgium. He was the son of Corneille van Eycken and Elise Cordemans, and as a boy was employed in commercial pursuits, but from 1829, when his father died, he gave himself over entirely to the study of art. In 1830 he studied at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts of Brussels under François-Joseph Navez and Paul Delaroche, in 1835 gained an important prize with high distinctions, and four years afterwards was appointed professor of drawing and painting. In 1838 he went to Italy, returning in 1839 and assuming his professorship. In that year he exhibited his great picture of Divine Pity (La clémence divine), which was warmly received and brought him a gold medal and a high position in the Société des Beaux Arts de France. In 1840 he married Julie Noël, who died on 11 February 1843. He himself died at Schaerbeek eleven years later, at the age of 45. Works Two of his most important pictures were those representing Captive Christians and St. Boniface, for the Église de la Chapelle; but for the same