Nude Dressing

Julien t’Felt, born on 14 November 1874 in Ghent, was a Belgian Impressionist painter known for his depictions of animals, flowers, and still lifes in vibrant hues. He was also a draftsman, etcher, lithographer, and designer of wrought ironwork, silverware, and stained glass. Additionally, he gained fame as a poster designer.

As the youngest son of Charles t’Felt, founder of the t’Felt printing house, he was introduced to graphic arts at an early age. At just five years old, he made his first drawings on lithographic stones in his father’s workshop.

From 1888 to 1894, he studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, where he was taught by esteemed artists such as Charles Boom, Edward de Jans, Jan-Willem Rosier, Albert de Vriendt, and Karel Verlat. He specialized in portrait and animal drawings, often sketching animals at the Antwerp Zoo alongside J. Dupon and A. Colin. Later, his work expanded to include still lifes, landscapes, picturesque cityscapes, nudes, and floral compositions.

During the First World War, t’Felt published satirical cartoons that forced him to flee to the Netherlands, where he took refuge with the sculptor Toon Dupuis. In 1915, he travelled via England to Le Havre and then to Rouen, where he painted portraits of British officers and war scenes. After the war, he returned to Antwerp to find his studio looted.

T’Felt made his debut as a painter in 1894 at the Antwerp World Exhibition. Although he remained faithful to academic traditions, his greatest success lay in the applied arts. In 1897, he created twelve educational illustrations for the Royal Zoological Society and designed silverware for metalsmith Junes. He also worked in applied graphic design, created parades, flags, and heraldic symbols, and illustrated the Golden Book of the City of Antwerp multiple times.

He became particularly well known as a designer of film posters. With the opening of Belgium’s first cinema on Brussels’ Noorderlaan in 1904, he produced posters that are now considered iconic in early Belgian film history.

T’Felt’s works are held in print rooms in Antwerp, Brussels, and Paris, and in museums in cities including Bordeaux, Le Havre, Marseille, Rouen, and Buenos Aires. In Antwerp, his works can be found in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, the National Maritime Museum, and the Zoo.

Julien t’Felt died on 14 February 1933 in Antwerp. His legacy lives on in numerous collections, including those of the Provincial Museum of Photography in Antwerp, the City Archives in Brussels, and the AMVC-Letterenhuis in Antwerp.