A Life in Observation Edouard de Jans began his life in Sint-Andries, the son of a farmer and a miller. His interest in art did not come from formal study but from a window, watching the displays in a local lithographer's shop. This early curiosity found a practical outlet when an aristocrat, working on the restoration of the Steentien castle, saw enough promise in the young man's drawings to suggest formal training. This led him to th…