Artist: Federic, Baron Georges

Georges Frédéric was a Belgian painter born and deceased in Schaerbeek, Brussels (1900–1981). He is best known for his maritime scenes, harbour views, riverscapes and landscapes, characterized by a sensitive treatment of light, atmosphere and movement. His work reflects a strong connection to nature and the sea, placing him firmly within the Belgian tradition of figurative and marine painting of the 20th century.

Frédéric received his first artistic training from his father, Léon Frédéric (1856–1940), one of Belgium’s most important painters associated with realism and symbolism. He later studied under Privat Livemont, a renowned Art Nouveau artist. Between 1919 and 1924, he pursued formal studies at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels, where he worked in the studios of Herman Richir and Jean Delville, both influential academic painters of the period.

Throughout his career, Georges Frédéric worked in a wide range of techniques, including oil painting, watercolor, gouache, drawing, charcoal and etching. He was particularly inspired by coastal life, the North Sea, ports and estuaries, themes that recur consistently in his oeuvre. In addition to painting, he was active as an illustrator, contributing to several books, including children’s publications written by his wife.

Frédéric was an engaged member of the Belgian art scene. He belonged to several artistic circles in Schaerbeek, such as La Ruche and Germinal, and regularly exhibited his work. From 1931 onward, he participated in exhibitions of the Société des Peintres de la Mer, affirming his reputation as a marine painter. In 1936, his work was selected for the art competition of the Olympic Games in Berlin, at a time when the arts were still part of the official Olympic program.

In recognition of his maritime focus, he became a member of the Royal Belgian Naval Academy in 1955, an honorary distinction within nautical and artistic circles. A major solo exhibition of his work was organized in 1966 at the Maison des Arts Gaston Williot in Schaerbeek. In 2000, a posthumous retrospective exhibition was held in Schaerbeek to commemorate the centenary of his birth, presented alongside a tribute to his father, Léon Frédéric.

Today, Georges Frédéric is remembered as a dedicated and skilled painter whose work offers a poetic and authentic vision of maritime life and Belgian landscapes, firmly rooted in tradition yet marked by personal sensitivity and craftsmanship.