André Hennebicq (Belgian, 1836 – 1904), The Expulsion or La Patricienne Romaine Expulsée, signed, oil on canvas, 29″ x 48.5″
Hennebicq, born in Tournai, a city southwest of Brussels, was a painter, printmaker and draughtsman. He trained in Tournai and Brussels, and spent several years traveling in Paris, Amsterdam, Turin, Milan, Florence and Rome, collecting medals and honors along the way. In 1865, Hennebicq won the highly coveted Prix de Rome for painting, a cash award given to the nation’s most promising artists so they can study in Rome and learn about the classical styles of the masters. In 1870, Hennebicq returned to Belgium and was elected the Director of the Academy of Mons (city south of Brussels), a position he held from 1870-1879. During his lifetime he received many official commissions and was responsible for the implementation of multiple monumental historical pieces for the town houses of Mons, Tournai, and Leuven. Hennebicq spent his final years in Brussels and was awarded the Knight of the Order of Leopold, one of the highest honors in Belgium.
