François Joseph Navez (1787–1869)

• Was a Belgian Neoclassical painter.
• As the son of an alderman, in a privileged family, he was able to devote himself entirely to art from an early age.
• From 1803 to 1808, he was a pupil at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels, where he studied with Pierre Joseph Célestin François.
• In 1810, together with Antoine Brice and Antoine Cardon, he helped create the "Société des amateurs d'arts".
• In 1812, he was awarded first prize in a contest for history painting.

• This enabled him to go to Paris, where he worked and studied with Jacques-Louis David from 1813 to 1816.

• The following year he went to Rome, where he made the acquaintance of Ingres.

• He would live and work there until 1822.

• Upon returning to Belgium, he set up a studio.

• In 1825, he married Augustine-Flore de Lathuy.

• Navez was elected a fourth class member of the Royal Institute of the Netherlands in 1826, he became a supernumerary associate in 1841 and resigned in 1851.

• In 1830, he was named a member of his alma-mater, the Royal Academy.

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