OMMEGANCK, Balthazar Paul

Flemish painter. At the age of twelve he was placed with the painter Henri Joseph Antonissen (1737-1794), and attended the lectures of the Antwerp Academy, where he gained a prize for a drawing from the antique, and where in 1775 he received another for drawings from the living model, and was specially noticed for his skilful representation of the fur and wool of animals.

In 1796 he was appointed Professor of Painting in the Antwerp Academy. He annually contributed to the Paris Salon and gained several prizes. He also exhibited at other venues across Europe.

Ommeganck frequently sketched from nature, merging the light found in the Italianate works of Dutch artists with careful observation. His early works were often imaginary scenes, although in later life he found inspiration in the landscape of the Ardennes region. As a landscapist, his work was influential long after his death.