Jean François Portaels

Jean François Portaels was a Belgian history, orient, genre and landscape painter of the 19th century.

Jean François Portaels studied from 1836 to 1841 at the Académie royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels. He then went to Paris with his friend Alexandre Nestor Nicolas Robert and worked under Paul Delaroche. In 1842 he won the Prix de Rome. Italy was the new destination and together with Robert Portaels traveled to Florence, where he spent a year studying the old masters. A period of travel followed: from 1844 to 1847 he traveled through North Africa and the Levant, including Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Egypt and Judea. He then traveled to Spain, Hungary and Norway. Back in Belgium he is one of the first orientalists. From 1847 to 1850 he was director of the Art Academy in Ghent. In 1850 he moved to Brussels, newly married, and had a free studio with students. In 1851 he was awarded the Leopold Order for his artistic achievements. From 1863 to 65 he taught as a professor of painting and drawing at the Académie royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels. From 1878 until his death he was director of the academy.