The Antwerp Academy and Early Years André Plumot began his training within the walls of the Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. He sat in the classrooms of H. Van der Poorten and registered for lessons under E. Dujardin and J. A. Verschaeren. His early years were shaped by the studios of others, including time spent working with N. de Keyser, H. Carpentero, and A. Lion. These early associations provided a foundation in the technical demands of the craft. In 1849, health concerns led him away from the structured life of the Academy. He moved to Kalmthout, finding a different kind of instruction t…