Henri Joseph Harpignies

Born into a bourgeois family of Belgian descent who established a sugar beet factory, Henri Joseph Harpignies became seriously interested in painting during an extended trip through France in 1838. However, he first worked as a sales agent until 1848, when he entered the studio of landscape painter Jean-Alexis Achard (1807-1884). Harpignies traveled to Crémieu and Brussels with Achard but decided to return home upon the outbreak of the revolution of 1848. After the revolution, he traveled through southern Germany and to Italy, where the natural surroundings made a strong impact on his work...