Alfred Bastien

Alfred Bastien (1873-1955) was a Belgian artist, primarily known as a landscape and cityscape painter. Born in Ixelles, Belgium, he studied at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels under Joseph Stallaert, Jean-François Portaels, and Ernest Blanc-Garin. He often depicted scenes from around Belgium, France, and North Africa, capturing their atmospheric qualities and architectural details with a realistic, yet impressionistic, style. Bastien’s work is characterized by its muted color palettes, often emphasizing subtle variations of light and shadow. He served as a war artist during World War I, documenting the conflict and its impact on the Belgian landscape. His war paintings are considered a significant contribution to the historical record of the era. After the war, he continued to paint landscapes and cityscapes, solidifying his reputation as a prominent Belgian artist of the 20th century. Bastien’s paintings are held in numerous public and private collections in Belgium and internationally.