Rops Félicien

1833-1898

Félicien Rops was a Belgian artist, painter, draughtsman, illustrator, aquafortist and engraver, born in Namur on 7 July 1833 and died in Essonnes (now Corbeil-Essonnes) on 23 August 1898 (at the age of 65).
Theoretically, he had no master, in reality, he had many, all his friends giving him advice. When he met, around 1861, Gustave Courbet, Félicien Rops was already an appreciated artist.
At that time Rops often left Brussels to go and draw in the campine or in the Ardennes. Rops was increasingly attracted to etchings.
In Brussels, he met Baudelaire. Rops went to Paris but never forgot Belgium.
He seemed obsessed by death, whose haunting he would most often express by carving street girls, private offices, stony or casseroles. Moreover, he defended himself from all pornography and these were at first only outlets for a pessimism that was at first intended to be exaggerated and turned sour.