A Landscape with Lady on White Horse

Marinus Ferdinand Joseph Bernard was born in Antwerp, Belgium on August 10, 1808.

He was a Belgian painter of domestic genre-scenes, romantic Ardennes landscapes, often populated with hikers, shepherds, peasants, scenes with horses, old city views of Namur, Dinant, Rochefort, portraits and marines. He practised also murals and decorations. 

Debuted in neoclassicism, but became increasingly fascinated by romanticism.

He studied with master teachers and artists Ommeganck, Van Brée and H. Van der Poorten at the Antwerp Academy of Fine Arts, he was also a pupil of G. J. Herreyns and J. Dujardin.

From the age of 20 he visited the Louvre in Paris, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Holland.

He realised historical landscapes of Namur, Dinant and Rochefort and decorated the provincial government hall in Namur.

In 1835 he founded the Academy of Namur and taught there for almost half a century.  

Marinus was a first teacher of F. Rops, Quinaux, Roffiaen, etc.

He died in Namur, Belgium on July 6, 1890.

Today, his works can be found in private and public collections including Antwerp Museum, Kortrijk Museum, at St. Jacques Church in Namur, M.S.K., in Bruges Town Hall, Berlin K.M.S.K., Riga.