Hay Season by Louis Robbe
Louis Romain Robbe (Belguim, 1806-1887)
Oil on Canvas
49-½ x 79-½
59 x 88-½ Framed
Louis-Marie-Dominique-Romain Robbe, a prominent Belgian painter, engraver, and lawyer, was born on November 17, 1806, in Courtrai. Raised in a family where the legal profession held prestige, he initially followed his father Dominique Robbe's aspirations for a similar path. Louis displayed an early talent for drawing, nurtured during his schooling at the Dathis brothers' institution in Kortrijk, under the tutelage of the calligrapher-musician Jean van de Wiele.
His artistic inclinations led him to enroll at the local Academy, but the uncertainties of an artistic career prompted him to shift his focus towards law. Completing his studies at the University of Ghent, he defended a thesis on divorce in 1830 before embarking on a legal career that commenced with an internship in Anseghem and later as a justice of the peace in Moorseele.
Despite his legal pursuits, Robbe's passion for art persisted. Guided by Jan Baptiste de Jonghe, he commenced painting in oils in 1833 and became a student of Verboeckhoven. Robbe's involvement in the artistic scene of Courtrai was notable; he co-founded the new Society of Fine Arts, contributed to the "Analects of Flanders," and was instrumental in enhancing the local artistic community.
Following the passing of his father in 1835, Robbe assumed his legal practice and joined the Courtrai bar. However, his artistic ambitions prompted a move to Brussels in 1840, where he served as a lawyer for the Ministry of Finance while continuing his artistic endeavors.
In 1843, Robbe forged a significant friendship with the Spanish painter Jenaro Pérez Villaamil, advocating for artistic exchanges between the Spanish and Belgian schools of painting. Recognized as a pioneering figure in modern Belgian painting, Robbe fostered the talents of emerging artists like Charles de Groux, a leading proponent of the realist movement.
In 1831, Robbe married Adela Avecillo from Cádiz, Spain, with whom he had two children. His brother Henri Robbe, also an artist, gained recognition for his works exhibited at international exhibitions.
Louis-Marie-Dominique-Romain Robbe passed away on May 2, 1887, in Brussels, leaving behind a legacy of artistic innovation and legal acumen that continues to inspire generations.
