The Breadwinner

Early Life, Family and Training

Alexander Struys was born into a household where the manipulation of light and glass was a practiced trade. His father, a man originally from Holland, worked as a master glass painter. This early exposure to the craft of color and transparency likely shaped the visual language that would later define his own work. The boy's hand was steady from a very young age; by the age of six, he was already a student at the Academy of Dordrecht.

As he grew, his training moved toward the formal structures of fine art. He eventually found his way to the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, where he studied under Polydore Beaufaux and Jozef Van Lerius. These years of instruction provided the technical foundation for his later focus on genre and portrait painting. He moved through these academic spaces with a focus on the precision required by the realistic style he would eventually inhabit.

Travels and Early Career in Europe

In 1871, Struys began to move beyond the borders of Belgium. He exhibited his work in Ghent that same year, marking an early step into the public eye. Shortly after, he set out for France and England alongside Jan Van Beers. The two men traveled through these countries attempting to sell their paintings, though the returns were meager. They managed only enough money to fund the trip back home.

The years that followed brought both friction and professional advancement. In 1876, his painting Birds of Prey—also known as God is Dead—caused a significant scandal due to its anti-clerical themes. This period of provocation was met with a shift in his professional standing. By 1877, he was appointed as a Professor at the Weimar Saxon-Grand Ducal Art School.

Academic Roles and Professional Life

After his early years of travel, Struys took up a teaching position at the Weimar Saxon-Grand Ducal Art School. He held this professorship until 1882. During this time, he watched his students develop, including Christian Rohlfs. His time in Weimar was a steady period of instruction before he moved toward the Netherlands. In 1882, he relocated to The Hague. He spent two years there working primarily as a portrait painter, capturing the likenesses of those who sat for him.

His later years were spent in Belgium, specifically in Mechelen. He took on the role of head of the Royal Drawing Academy in that city. His influence extended into the administrative side of the Belgian art community as well. In 1902, he joined the administrative commission for the ninth exhibition held by the Société des Beaux-Arts à Bruxelles. By 1905, he had reached the position of Vice-President of the Société Royale des Beaux-Arts. He also contributed to the committee responsible for preparing the Exposition Rétrospective de l'Art Belge, which was part of the country's 75th anniversary celebrations.

Artistic Style and Social Themes

Struys worked within the Realistic style, focusing his attention on genre and portraiture. He did not rely on a formal studio to find his subjects. Instead, he went directly into the homes of the poor people he chose to depict. This choice allowed him to observe their lives from within their own living spaces. His presence in these modest settings shaped the quiet, unvarnished quality of his work.

The subject matter he chose often touched upon the harder realities of life. His paintings drew significant attention from the socially conscious publications of the era. Some observers, looking at the heavy themes he explored, referred to him as the painter of misery and pain. His work did not shy away from the difficult aspects of the human condition, focusing instead on the lived experiences of those living on the margins of society.