Félicien Rops (Namur, 1833 - Paris, 1898)

Museums of Namur | Félicien Rops Museum | Exhibition | Guided tour

Félicien Rops came of good stock. He had a physical appetite for life, a need to know, to learn, to move and above all a visceral will, which never wavered, to exist in his own era, to penetrate into the feelings, the ideas, the spirit of his time and to give them expression and shape.

Born in Namur in 1833, he studied at the Academy of Art there. At the age of 18 he registered at l'Université Libre de Bruxelles (University of Brussels), and began to move in the intellectual, lampoonist and artistic circles of the time. He showed a talent as a fierce caricaturist, especially at the Charivari Belge and the "l'Uylenspiegel", where his lithographs are particularly appreciated. At this time he also met Charles Baudelaire who became a close friend.

As early as 1862 he was making short visits to Paris, where he studied etching with Bracquemond and Jacquemart. A remarkable technician, he mastered all etching techniques, in particular soft etching, dry point and aquatint.

He also showed a remarkable talent for drawing, and used with dexterity and refinement both pen and pencil, often enhanced by gouache, aquarelle or pastels. "Pornokratès", "La Tentation de Saint-Antoine", (the Temptation of Saint Anthony), "La Buveuse d'absinthe" (the Absinthe Drinker), or the series "Cent légers croquis sans prétention pour réjouir les honnêtes gens" (one hundred light-weight unpretentious sketches to please decent people) are proof of this talent.

In 1874 he moved permanently to Paris, the city of his consecration. The artistic and literary elite of the time recognised in him an exceptional being, exceeding by far the image of the libertine conforming to fashion that up until then had been the general consensus concerning him. Many became his friends, Rops illustrated their works or maintained enthralling correspondences with some. He was an excellent letter writer and several thousands of his letters have been preserved.

The Woman is the central theme of his graphic work. Through her he portrays his vision of his era.

Although his ability as a painter has received far too little recognition, he nonetheless had a captivating style, often very talented.

Bernadette Bonnier
Last modified: Fri Mar 22 12:25:46 MET 1996