Nicolas Liez

Nicolas Liez (1809–1892) was a Luxembourgish painter, sculptor and architect who is remembered in particular for his lithographs of scenes throughout the Grand Duchy and for his oil painting of the City of Luxembourg.

Early life

Born in Neufchâteau in the French department Vosges on 14 October 1809, Liez was the son of Marie Weber, a Luxembourger, and Jean-Joseph Liez, a cobbler. In 1812, when he was 3 years old, the family moved to Luxembourg, where his father took up Luxembourg nationality. After attending the local school, Liez studied drawing with Jean-Baptiste Fresez at the Ecole de Dessin where he was awarded the silver medal in 1827. He continued his studies at Charleroi and Mons in Belgium, where he learnt the art of lithography.

Career

Throughout his life, despite his unusual versatility, Liez had difficulty in earning a living from art alone. Despite his work as a painter, lithographer, sculptor and decorator, he still found it necessary to teach, even on Sundays for those who had jobs during the week. He renovated the facades of old buildings and sculpted monuments and gravestones. Liez is also credited with bringing photography to Luxembourg.

Artwork

Unlike his teacher Fresez, Liez did not master portrait painting but became Luxembourg's most talented graphic artist of the 19th century. His paintings range from his "Death of John the Blind" to landscapes but also include flowers, stations of the cross and horses in their stables. His landscapes depict scenes from Luxembourg, the French Ardennes and the surroundings of Dresden. His most famous work is his view of the City of Luxembourg from the Fetschenhof which he drew, painted and lithographed in 1870. It shows the city at the time when the demolition of the fortress had just begun. Despite his attempt to emphasise the fortifications by exaggerating the height of the cliffs and the railway bridge, the painting is a good representation of the city and its skyscape.