Ghent 1812–1872 Brussels
Belgian Painter
Playing Children
Henri Joseph Dillens was a Belgian painter, draughtsman, and lithographer of the 19th century. Henri Joseph Dillens, also known as Hendrick Joseph Dillens , was born on December 20, 1812, in Ghent, Belgium. Coming from an artistic family, he grew up in an environment where art played a central role. His younger brother, Adolphe-Alexandre Dillens, also became a renowned painter. Hendrick himself had three children, including Albert Dillens, who followed in his father’s footsteps as a painter, and Julien Dillens, who gained fame as a sculptor.
He studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent, where he was taught by Jean-Baptiste Louis Maes-Canini. From 1843 to 1854, he worked in Antwerp, after which he settled permanently in Brussels, where he remained active until his death. He passed away on December 3, 1872, in Ixelles.
Dillens gained recognition as a genre and history painter, with a particular fondness for vivid scenes from everyday life and dramatic episodes from history. Several of his paintings were inspired by the life of King Henry IV of France. His style is marked by strong narrative qualities, refined details, and a warm, human touch.
In addition to his artistic career, Dillens was also active as a teacher. He gave lessons to, among others, Firmin Bouvy, Louis De Taeye, Jeannette Grover, and his brother Adolphe-Alexandre.
His work was shown at numerous major exhibitions both in Belgium and abroad. In Belgium, he exhibited at the Salon of Ghent in 1831 and again in 1861, in Brussels in 1859, and in Antwerp in 1870. His work was also appreciated internationally, with exhibitions in Douai (1835), Valenciennes (1854), and abroad at the prestigious Exposition Universelle in Paris (1867) and in Dublin (1868).
Dillens left behind a rich and varied body of work. Today, his paintings are held in the collections of major institutions including the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium in Brussels, as well as museums in Ghent, Kortrijk, Liège, Ostend, and Ypres. One of his best-known works, The King of the Marksmen (1851), is part of the collection of the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg.
