Brussels 1830 – 1909 Paris
Belgian – French Painter
Enjoying the Collection
Léon Marie Constant Dansaert, later known as Dansart, was born in Brussels in 1830. A versatile painter, he specialized in portraits, figure studies, and both genre and historical scenes. He became particularly renowned for his genre paintings depicting everyday Parisian life among the French bourgeoisie in 18th-century settings.
Dansaert studied under the French master and Realist genre painter Édouard Frère (1819–1886) in Paris, where he honed his refined technique and attention to narrative detail. In 1882, he settled in Écouen, France, where he acquired French nationality and adopted the name Dansart, continuing his artistic career in the thriving Écouen artist community.
He exhibited widely between 1868 and 1889, participating in notable exhibitions including the Antwerp Salon (1864), the Paris Salon (1865), the Paris Universal Exhibition (1867), and the Brussels Belgian Art Exhibition (1880). His work was also shown in Berlin and Bordeaux, reflecting his active engagement with the European art scene. Dansaert traveled extensively throughout Germany and Italy, experiences that enriched his artistic vision.
The painter passed away in Écouen in 1909. Today, his works are held in prominent public and private collections worldwide, including the Museum of Brussels (Les Diplomates), the museums of Bagnères, Bayonne, and Périgueux in France, as well as the museums of London and Sheffield in the United Kingdom.
