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François-Joseph Damien was a Belgian artist also known as Jos Damien. He was born in Noville-les-Bois (1879). His father was a well respected church painter and portraitist -- Joseph François Ghislain Damien. Jos pursued an artistic education in Liège, Antwerp, and Paris. He began working by taking commissions to support his family, primarily portraits. Like hos father, he was primarily a portraitist. He captured images of he important figures of he day, including politicians, generals, and university professors. His lengthy career spanned both World Wars. Neutral Belgium was invaded and occupied by he Germans in both wars. (The British Army prevented occupation of a tiny portion of Belgium in World War I. Like other Belgians he experienced major disruptions but continued to work as an artist. He secured the appointment as a court painter for the Belgian and Luxembourg royal families (1930). This resulted in many portraits of members of the royal family. His portrait of Queen Astrid is one of his best known works. These paintings were affected by the War. The Royal family in World War I was seen as heroes. In World War II their behavior was rather unfairly seen as compromised. This of course impacted how the public viewed the portraits. Damien painted a number of children including one of a boy playing hide and seek dressed in a blue Fauntleroy influenced outfit. Computer assessment confuse it with a similar painting by Dinah artist Einar Hein painted (1919). Damien's portrait looks more like the 1920s. He died in Schaerbeek at the age of 94 (1973).
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