Alfred Stevens
Alfred Stevens was a Belgian painter (not to be confused with Alfred Stevens, the English sculptor) who lived from 1823 to 1906 who worked in the realism style. Stevens is mostly remembered today for his portraits depicting the modern, elegant women of the nineteenth century bourgeois and upper-middle class Parisian society. His fine detail of dress, jewelry, and other adornments, and rich palette for clothing and settings are hallmarks visible in his works.
Stevens was born in Brussels, Belgium, into a highly artistic family. His father was an art collector, and both his brother and nephew were artists. His parents ran a cafe that served as a meeting place for intellectuals of the mind. During his formative years, he spent time at the cafe and was exposed to a wide variety of intellectuals, including artists, writers, and politicians. Growing up, Stevens was introduced to the Dutch genre masters, such as Johannes Vermeer, which had a strong influence on his art.
After the death of his gather in 1837, at age 14, Stevens began his art education at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels where he studied under the notable neoclassical artist, François Navez. At age 20, he joined his brother, Joseph Stevens, in Paris, France, and attended the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts. At the École des Beaux-Arts, Stevens’s training included studying the old masters of the Italian Renaissance.
Stevens’ first exhibition was at the Brussels Salon in 1851. His art style blended naturalism with the influence of the Dutch genre painters. This resulted in refined detailed, life-like portraits. His brushwork was smooth with a finished look, drawing the viewers’ attention to the exquisite detail in jewelry, hair, and dress that he was able to render. In 1853, Stevens exhibited at the Paris Salon, and in 1855, he exhibited at the Universal Exposition in Paris, where his work earned him several judges’ medals.
The 1860s were very fruitful for Stevens. He was continuously exhibiting his work and became a favorite for many wealthy art collectors. His portraits of beautiful, modern women were highly sought after. Stevens’ experience as a youth in the intellectual cafe of his parents made him a favorite in the Parisian Cafe scene. He soon became great friends with many well-known artists of the day, including Eugène Delacroix, Édouard Manet, Edgar Degas, Berthe Morisot, James Whistler, and Pierre Puvis de Chavannes.
Though Stevens made good money as an artist, poor financial decisions required him and his family to downgrade from his large house to more modest accommodations. However, Stevens was still very respected and successful as an artist. In 1905, the École des Beaux-Arts honored him by including his work in a retrospective exhibition of Belgian art. He was the very first living artist to be given such honors. Stevens passed away the following year in 1906, at the age of 83.
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