Charles Verlat was an important, versatile 19th century Belgian painter, best-known for his realistic animal scenes, but also for his portraits, Orientalists works and religious compositions.

 

 

Belgian painter

Antwerp 1824 – 1890 Antwerp 

 

Important and versatile painter of history subjects, animal scenes and singeries, biblical scenes, portraits and of Orientalist works.

 

Pupil in Antwerp of Nicaise de Keyser and at its local Academy.

Later in Paris pupil of Ary Scheffer and of Jean-Hippolyte Flandrin.

 

Verlat was of rich descent, which facilitated his artistic career.

He settled in Paris in 1850, returned to Antwerp for one year in 1858 and returned the next year to Paris. His monkey-tricks dates from after 1858.

 

In 1869 he left for Weimar, as he had been invited by its Grand Duke to teach painting at is academy (“Kunstshule”).

In August 1875 Verlat travelled via Cairo to Palestine, where he remained for six months.

In May 1877 he finally returned to Antwerp, teaching at its Academy. Meanwhile he also painted two huge panoramic paintings.

He died at the age of 65.

 

 

Because rarely does an artistic message from some 150 years ago seem so urgently relevant.