Léon Abry

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Léon-Eugène-Auguste Abry (1857–1905) was a Belgian painter known for his military scenes. He was born in Antwerp to a general in the Belgian Army, and his family moved a lot. His father died when he was fourteen, which made it hard for him to adjust to civilian life. He started out aiming for a military career but preferred drawing.

From 1875 to 1878 he studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp with Nicaise De Keyser and Polydore Beaufaux. He began by painting historical and genre scenes, but soon focused on humorous depictions of military life inspired by his own experiences. In 1881 he tried more serious works, but the Brussels Salon of 1884 gave them a very negative reception. After that, he stayed with military themes and slowly introduced non-humorous subjects.

To make his paintings authentic, Abry followed troops on maneuvers and visited barracks to sketch. He also painted several canvases showing the Belgian royal family observing military exercises. He helped found a secession group in Antwerp called De XIII with artists such as Emile Claus, Henry Luyten, Edgard Farasyn, Evert Larock, and Frans Hens. Their first exhibition was in 1891, and they held only three exhibitions in total.