Alfred Bastien

Alfred Théodore Joseph Bastien (16 September 1873 in Ixelles – 7 June 1955 in Uccle) was a Belgian artist, academic, and soldier.

The British war-time magazine 'the Illustrated War News', among others, regularly published his work, quite often in distinctive and semi-panoramic, multi-color two-page spreads.

After the war, Alfred Bastien painted a grand Panorama of the Yser Front in 19th century tradition, a project which he had been planning since 1914 and which, according to his own telling, had been suggested to him by King Albert in 1914.

During his war-time service in the Belgian Army, Bastien made many sketches, drawings and photos which were later either incorporated into the Panorama itself or were useful studies in technique and effects.

While on exhibition in Brussels until 1925 it is estimated that more than 800 000 customers visited the Panorama, amongst them many of the crowned heads of Europe, presidents and foreign emperors alike, all to great acclaim by the news-media.

Careful attention was given to the lighting effects and the placement of objects in the foreground, in order to create a more believable optical illusion.

Part of this panorama which depicted the massacre of Belgian civilians in Dinant in August 1914, was deliberately destroyed by German authorities during the 1940–44 occupation.

He ensured the interim (1932–1933) of the Class of Landscape Painting ("Paysage") after the death of Professor Paul Mathieu, and before his replacement by Frans Smeers (1933–1946).