Jean Guillaume Rosier was a distinguished Belgian painter of portraits, figures and historical works. His technical ability was based upon his superior academic teachings and underpinned by masterful draughtsmanship. He studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and also possibly under the tutelage of Carolus-Duran (1837-1917) who trained John Singer Sargent.

In his portraiture, Rosier accomplished what many of his academic contemporaries failed to achieve - he worked to an advanced technical level while retaining a sitter’s spirit. There’s a sense of movement, a flicker of life, we’re looking at a real human, rather than a porcelain mannequin or lay figure.

He was knighted with The Order of Leopold and he’s represented at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp.

Exhibited

Brussels Salon, Paris Salon.

Public Collections

Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp.

Timeline

1858

Born in Lanaken, Belgium, to Joannes Wilhelmus Rosier to Willem Joseph Rosier, a carpenter, and Maria Ida Rosier (nee Groenen).

C. 1870

Met Godfried Guffens (1823-1901), a painter of murals and historical scenes.

1877-1880

Lived in Antwerp.

Studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp.

1878

Received awards of excellence for figure drawing, historical compositions and line drawing.

1880-1881

Trained at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Possibly also in the studio of Carolus-Duran.

1882

Travelled to England to train as a portrait painter.

Moved to Antwerp.

1885

Appointed as a teacher at the Antwerp Academy.

1886

Received an Honourable Mention in the Prix de Rome.

1888-1898

Worked on a ‘Stations of the Cross’ for the St. Ursula Church in Lanaken.

1894

Shown at the World Exhibition in Antwerp.

Awarded a Gold Medal for a work shown in Munich.

1914-1918

Lived in London where he worked as a teacher at the London School of Arts.

Returned to Belgium.

1927

Forced to stop painting due to his health.

1931

Died in Antwerp, Belgium.