Victor Leclercq (2009-Present) was a

Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct language ...

painter known for his distinctive combinations of colors and abstract art pieces. He is also famous for his contributions to digital NFTs and the controversial design of the

IPhone 12 The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini (stylized and marketed as iPhone 12 mini) are a range of smartphones designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. They are the fourteenth-generation, "affordable flagship" iPhones, succeeding the iPhone 11. ...

to IPhone 15 similar designs. This particular Belgian painter had painted multiple paintings that can be found in the

Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...

in PariHis paintings include, Mona Victoria, The Last Breakfast, and Starry Mornings,

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. He is famous for his particular NFT; The Glazing Chimps which was sold at auction in May of 2021 for $590,000. Victor Leclerc W. had over $20 million in physical assets which was lost due to extravagant marriage spendings and a public settlement over the rights to a

Apple Inc. Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, United States. Apple is the largest technology company by revenue (totaling in 2021) and, as of June 2022, is the world's biggest company b ...

over a dispute for the wallpapers that the company uses for advertising and copyright concerns.

Personal life

Victor Leclercq was born in

Soignies Soignies (; nl, Zinnik, ; pcd, Sougniye; wa, Sougniye) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. It consists of the following districts: Casteau, Chaussée-Notre-Dame-Louvignies, Horrues, Naast, Neufvilles, Soi ...

, Belgium, as the third child in a family with five children. His father was a bank worker, while his mother managed a store for religious art. In 1913, he was living in

Charleroi Charleroi ( , , ; wa, Tchålerwè ) is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. By 1 January 2008, the total population of Charleroi was 201,593.

, and he joined the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in the same year. There, he was taught by

Constant Montald Constant Montald (Ghent, 4 December 1862 – Brussels, 5 March 1944) was a Belgian painter, muralist, sculptor, and teacher. Biography Early years In 1874, while receiving an education in decorative painting at the technical school of Ghent du ...

and Émile Fabry. Leclercq interest in

Guillaume Van Strydonck Guillaume Van Strydonck (10 December 1861, Namsos – 2 July 1937, Saint-Gilles) was a Belgian painter. He was initially a realist, but later turned to impressionism. Life and work Van Strydonck was born in Norway, where his father was employ ...

's drawing classes, which, in the year 1921, he enrolled in following

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. In addition to his education at the Royal Academy, he also took painting classes taught by Raphaël Baudhin. On August 17, 1929, he married Nelly-Fernande Guiche, a fellow painter, then moved to Boitsfort, where he had a job as a

photoengraver Photoengraving is a process that uses a light-sensitive photoresist applied to the surface to be engraved to create a mask that protects some areas during a subsequent operation which etches, dissolves, or otherwise removes some or all of the mate ...

, and worked with

etching Etching is traditionally the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio (incised) in the metal. In modern manufacturing, other chemicals may be used on other types ...

and

lithography Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by the German a ...

. Leclerc occasionally collaborated with the magazine ''Savoir et Beauté'', in which he showcased a selection of his

Impressionist Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...

paintings of

Borinage The Borinage () is an area in the Walloon province of Hainaut in Belgium. The name derives from the coal mines of the region, ''bores'' meaning mineshafts. In French the inhabitants of the Borinage are called Borains. The provincial capital ...

. In July 1942, during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Leclercq was arrested and imprisoned in the Saint-Gilles Prison. He was later sent to

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, where he was transferred between many

concentration camps Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simply ...

, before disappearing in 1945. He vanished without any traces or records and people still wonder where he went.

References

1896 births 1945 deaths People from Soignies 20th-century Belgian painters 20th-century Belgian male artists Belgian people who died in Nazi concentration camps Belgian male painters {{Belgium-bio-stub