Background
Alfred Stevens was born on May 11, 1823 in Brussels, Belgium. He had two brothers — Joseph Stevens, an animal painter, and Arthur Stevens, an art dealer and critic. Their father was an art collector.
144 rue du Midi, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
In 1837, Stevens enrolled at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels.
14 Rue Bonaparte, 75006 Paris, France
During his time in Paris, Alfred attended the École des Beaux-Arts, where he learned the fundamentals of classical sculpture and life drawing.
National Order of the Legion of Honour
Alfred Stevens was born on May 11, 1823 in Brussels, Belgium. He had two brothers — Joseph Stevens, an animal painter, and Arthur Stevens, an art dealer and critic. Their father was an art collector.
In 1837, Stevens left middle school and enrolled at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels the same year. Initially, for the first two years, he drew from casts of classical sculpture and later from live models. Some time later, in 1843, Alfred left for Paris. There, he entered the École des Beaux-Arts, where he learned the fundamentals of classical sculpture and life drawing.
Since 1851, Alfred exhibited regularly at Salons. His work "Ce qu'on appelle le vagabondage" attracted the attention of Napoleon III, who, as a result of the scene in the picture, ordered that soldiers no longer be used to pick up the poor from the streets. Two other paintings Alfred exhibited at the Salon in Antwerp at that time, entitled "Chez soi or At Home" and "The Painter and his Model", introduced subjects from "la vie moderne", for which he became known — an elegant young woman in contemporary dress and the artist in his studio.
The year 1857 marked his first important sale of "Consolation" (1857) for 6,000 francs to the Berlin collector and dealer Ravéné. During that time, Stevens became a part of the art world of Paris. It was at that time, that he met the Goncourt brothers, Théophile Gautier and Alexandre Dumas.
In the 1860's, Alfred became a well-known painter. His works, which he exhibited both in Paris and Brussels, attracted favorable critical attention and buyers. A bright example of his work of that time is "La Dame en Rose or Woman in Pink", which he made in 1866. The following year, in 1867, Alfred took part in the Universal Exposition in Paris, where he and Jan August Hendrik Leys were the stars of the Belgian section. At that time, he also befriended Édouard Manet, Edgar Degas, Charles Baudelaire, Berthe Morisot, James Abbott McNeill Whistler, Frédéric Bazille and Puvis de Chavannes.
During the Franco-Prussian War, Stevens was drafted into the army to fight for France, but returned to Belgium with his wife Marie Blanc and family before the Paris Commune. After the war, the family returned to France, where Alfred's works became popular again.
In the 1880's, the painter experienced financial difficulties. An additional expense came from summers by the sea, which were essential for his health. Being short of money, Stevens was happy to agree, when the Paris dealer Georges Petit offered him 50,000 francs to finance his vacation in exchange for the paintings Alfred produced during that time. The deal lasted for three years. Since that time till the end of his life, Stevens continued to paint views of popular resorts along the Normandy coast and the Midi in the south. Also, in his later years, the painter gave private lessons. His students included Sarah Bernhardt, William Merritt Chase, Berthe Art, Charles Bell Birch and others.
In 1889, Stevens took part in the International Exhibition, held in Paris, where he exhibited his highly acclaimed work, entitled "Panorama du Siècle, 1789–1889". In 1895, he held the exhibition of his works in Brussels. Five years later, in 1900, the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris organized the first retrospective exhibition of Alfred's works. In 1905, Stevens became the only living artist, allowed to exhibit in a retrospective show of Belgian art in Brussels. Despite the fact, that the painter took part in such important exhibitions, he didn't receive much money from his sales, as it was in previous times.
Ready for the Ball
Portrait of M. L. Bion
Portrait of Mrs. Howe
The Bath
Afternoon in the Park
Study of a Man
In the Garden
A Beach In Normandy
In Memoriam
A Doll
Moonlit seascape
An elegant woman
Pleasant Letter
The Love Letter
Still Life with Potted Geraniums
The Japanese Parisian
Woman Wearing a Bracelet
In the Country
The glass sphere
Elegant on the Boulevards
Preparing For The Ball
A Young Girl Seated by a Tree
Yamatori
Quai Aux Fleurs
On a Stroll
Lady at a Window Feeding Birds
Widow
The Farewell Note
Maria Magdalena
A Stormy Night
Women's Harp
The widow
The Paris Sfinks
The Dolour Certainty
Woman In a Straw Hat
Mother and Children
Reveil
The Baroness von Munchhausen
Love and marriage
Knitter
A Woman Seated in Oriental Dress
The Bouquet
Woman with a Fan
The final look
Elegant at Billiards
Portrait of a Woman in Blue
Portrait of a young lady
Woman with a Japanese Doll
Lovelorn
Japanese
Young woman with the red umbrella by the sea
Salome
What is Called Vagrancy or, The Hunters of Vincennes
The Japanese Mask
Allegory of the night
All Happiness
Girl with Duck
The Studio
Baroness de Bonhome
Portrait of a Woman in White
India In Paris
Portrait of a Young Woman
Lighthouse at dusk
Study of the Role
Quotations:
"There is no artist's studio, even a mediocre one, in which a study may not be found superior to his finished works."
"To paint a good portrait, it is indispensable to enter into the spirit and the character of the model, and compel one's self to depict him not only by exactly reproducing his features, but more particularly by interpreting his mind."
"Nothing does more injustice to a good picture than bad neighbors."
In 1858, Stevens married Marie Blanc, who came from a rich Belgian family. Their marriage produced four children — Léopold, a painter, Catherine, Jean and Pierre.