August Le Grasartist • painterAmsterdam 1864-1915 Laren

Fish, camels, horses, elephants, monkeys: August Le Gras was a renowned painter and draftsman of all kinds of animals. He studied at the academy in his birthplace Amsterdam, where he was taught by August Allebé, but could often be found in Artis. Director Gerardus Frederik Westerman even assigned him a studio in the zoo. To earn money, he taught himself and made commissioned portraits from photographs. Le Gras made several study trips to Algeria and Africa where he studied the animals there and painted the oriental environment. The trip to Algeria was funded by beer magnate Gerhard Heineken Sr., whose horses Le Gras painted earlier. Le Gras was a member of Arti et Amicitiae and founded the Gooi painters' club 'De Tien' with, among others, Co Breman. In 1905 the painter moved to Laren, where he remained for the rest of his life.