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Albert Roosenboom was born in Brussels (1845). We have not been able to find much biographical information on him. Rosenbloom was a classiocal,academic artist and a well well-known member of the Flemish School. He focused on genre-scenes and figure subjects. He was a pupil of Constantin Meunier (1831-1905) the sculptor, engraver and painter of genre scenes, landscapes and realistic portraits. A art historian writes, "It was this artist's influence that led him to adhere to the philosophy of wanting painting only to express the harmony of lines, masses and colours. In common with artists working on the continent at this time, be it the Forest of Barbizon, the northern beaches or such cities as Paris or Brussels, he was consumed with the study and control of light. This prompted them to move from their studios to work 'plein-air'." Only most of Rosenbloom's paintings were indoor scenes. We mostly see images portrayed in middle class homes ith children dressed similarly and about the same age. We wonder if the subjects were his children, probably not because of the ages. Without biograophical information have no way of dertmining this. Rosenbloom died at a very young age only 30 years old. Even so he produced a substantial number of cavases. And given his age of death, the paintings while many are undated would have been dome in the period 1865-75, probablt mostly in the early 1870s period. Albert Roosenboom is the father of the famous Art Nouveau architect named after him Albert Roosenboom born in 1871.
Albert Roosenboom was born in Brussels (1845). We have not been able to find much biographical information on him. We know he married, because we know of one son. He is known to have exhibited in Brussels, Ghent, and London befinning in 1869. Roosenboom is the father of the famous Art Nouveau architect named after him Albert Roosenboom born in 1871. Rosenbloom died at a very young agem only 30 years old. A Flemish art site sauys that he died after 1888, but most sites we have found site the 1875 date. This almost certainly is incorrect as we note that he sined some of his paintungs wityh 1880s dates. We note one sined 1883. A reader writes, " Interestingly some of his paintings have been dated 1883. This means that he possible died 1885 rather than 1875. The volume of his work suggests the later date of death. I was working on on 1870s fashions and by chance ccame across his paintings. Butblike you I hace found very little biographical informatiion and sites using the 1875 death ddate. I wonder if 1885 could be the correct date."
Rosenboom was a classical, academic artist. He was not a great artist, but was competent and a wonderful source of information on period fashion, interiors, and daily life and a substantial treatment of children and childhood. He was a well well-known member of the Flemish School. Rosenboom focused on genre-scenes and figure subjects. He was a pupil of Constantin Meunier (1831-1905) the sculptor, engraver and painter of genre scenes, landscapes and realistic portraits. A art historian writes, "It was this artist's influence that led him to adhere to the philosophy of wanting painting only to express the harmony of lines, masses and colours. In common with artists working on the continent at this time, be it the Forest of Barbizon, the northern beaches or such cities as Paris or Brussels, he was consumed with the study and control of light. This prompted them to move from their studios to work 'plein-air'." Only most of Rosenbloom's paintings were indoor scenes.
Rosenboom signed most of his paintings, but most as far as we can tell are undated. Few artusts created important works before age 20 yeras. And as as Rosenbloom was non un 1845, he would not reach age 20 until 1865. Using this as a guide, we doubt if many at all were painted betwwen 1865 and 1875 5when he died. Now we are not able to date his works more specifically, but that presents avery useful and narriw time weindow for these paintings abd thus the clothing styles shown. This was the time at which photography had become established, meaning studio photography. Early photographic tyles were not neraly as common in Rurope as America, even though it was in Europe that the processes were veleloped, but Albumen photograpy became widespread (1860s). Studio photography, however, did not provide scenes showing the concentions fir wearing these clothes or the colors involved. Thus decade was especially important because it was when Prussia through aseries of wars including the final one with France, unified Germany. Belgium was not involved in these wars, but German unificatioin would significantly impact Belgium in the 20th century. .
We mostly see Rosenboom genre works portraying children in middle class homes. This is in sharp contrast to his teacher, Meunier, who focused on working-class subjects. We see boys and girls interacting together. The boys tended to be dressed similarly in black knee pants suits. The girls are more colofully dressed in varied outfits--always dresses. The children tend to be about about the same age, except a baby is sometimes included. Most of the chikdren are school age pre-teens. Presumsbly this is because they can be depicted playing with toys and games. Not only do we have a narrow chronological and age view, but all the children seen to be from affluent middle-class families. We can tell this from the many interior home views. TWe are not sure why this was. Perhaps they interested Rosenboom more. Or perhaps they sold better. After all, when not painting a portrait, genbre artist have to think about selling his work. The children depicted are all living in comfirtable, well appointed rooms, probsbly city apartments as we do not see mnany bsckysrd scenes. We see no working-class children in his images. We wonder if the subjects were his children, probably not because of the ages. Without biograophical information have no way of dertmining this.
Despite Rosenboom's eraly death, he managed to produce a substantial number of cavases. This is particularly impressive given that is working span was only one decade. And given his age of death, the paintings while many are undated would have been done in the period 1865-75, probably mostly in the early-1870s period. The works portray charming childood genre scenes, in many cases not involving the adults. The children are always impecably dressed, even at the beach. We see many images of Belgian children playuing at home ewith toys or a range of games. We note a delightful image of a boy delighting his younger susters with puppets. We also see the children engaged in a range of realistic growing up experiences such as tasting wine--someyhing you do not see in the stright-laced United States. This is all something that the studio photography of the day cannnot offer us, but is an invaluable addition to the period image record. Most of his iamges trend to be be less formally staged than we see here on the beach (figure 1). .
Roosenboom has left us an extensive cultural record, this included not only fashion, but furnidoings and interiors. Our interest of course are the fashions, specifically the children's fashions. And we have a detailed sepiction of children clothes in the late-1860s and early-70s. Almost all the children he painted were pre-teen school age children, both boys and girls. We do not see much in the way of headwear given that so many of his paintings are indoor views, but we do see a few. We do not see any caps. The boys wear rounded-crown hats with streamers. The girls wear a variety of fancy hats. All the boys wear suits, although details on the suit jackets other than the colors are limited. Most of the images show the boys weraring black or navy blue suits. But we do notice other colors. They seem to be collar or near collar buttoning jackets. Many were worn with large white collars including Eton collars. All the boys wear knee pants, mostly with white socks rather than long stockings. And we see a few boys weraing while rather than matching knee pants, presumably a summer style. The girls are seen in fashionable hats and dresses. The girls' headwear is quite varied. We do not see the basic rounded-crown hats that the boys were wearing. Many of the dresses were done without waislinres, A-line styles.
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