Belgian School
Alexandre Clarys was a Brussels-born painter, illustrator, and poster artist who ultimately became renowned as a realist painter specializing in canine breeds and equestrian sporting scenes. His meticulously detailed dog portraits depict the highest physical standards and characteristics of various pedigreed breeds, often showcasing specific champion animals. Similarly, his equestrian work includes full-length profile portraits of horses, pastoral scenes featuring groups of horses, and high-drama compositions capturing motion. The titles of his works frequently reveal the names of the champion subjects. Clarys worked primarily in oils, with occasional forays into watercolor and poster printmaking, presumably through lithography.
He studied at the Academy of Brussels and in the workshop of French artist Ernest Blanc-Garin between 1888 and 1914. This period resulted in the production of various posters for hotels, tourist attractions, agricultural expositions, and the Belgian state railways, in addition to equestrian illustrations published in sporting magazines. Clarys exhibited his works regularly in the Salons of Antwerp, Brussels, and Ghent, seemingly right up until his death in 1912. His works are characterized by a naturalistic palette with striking light effects and are generally signed in script, “A. Clarys.” Today, his art is held in the collections of museums in Antwerp, Brussels, Ixelles, Liege, Ostend, and Tirlemont.