Alfred Stevens

"Etude" original etching

1878

Alfred Émile Léopold Stevens (1823–1906) was a celebrated Belgian painter renowned for his depictions of elegant modern women, often inspired by 17th-century Dutch genre painting. Born in Brussels to a family immersed in the arts, he studied at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts and the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Stevens first gained recognition for his social realist works portraying the struggles of the poor but later found greater success with his detailed portrayals of fashionable Parisian life. His work earned him numerous accolades, including the Legion of Honor, and he became a key figure in the Parisian art scene, socializing with artists like Édouard Manet and Edgar Degas. Despite financial troubles later in life, Stevens continued to paint and teach, mentoring artists such as Sarah Bernhardt and William Merritt Chase. His later works included seascapes influenced by Impressionism, and he collaborated on the monumental "Panorama du Siècle." He received significant honors during his lifetime, including a major retrospective at the École des Beaux-Arts in 1900. Stevens passed away in Paris in 1906, leaving behind a legacy as one of the leading painters of his era.