Education
Leemans studied at the Academy of Fine Arts of Antwerp.
Leemans studied at the Academy of Fine Arts of Antwerp.
He is best known for his paintings and prints of waterscapes, harbours and seascapes in the evening or at night. His work represents a break with the tradition of grand themes in Belgian marine art in favour of a realist representation of nature. Leemans broke with this Romantic and historical approach to marine art in favour of a more realistic rendering of nature even in its modest appearance.
His most frequent subjects are landscapes of rivers or canals with sailing boats in old cities in Flanders and The Netherlands.
He had a preference for showing the reflection of the moonlight on river landscapes. A few still lifes by Leemans depicting flowers and fruit typically set in a landscape are also recorded.
