Ernest Albert lived and worked in Antwerp for most of his life and was recognized as a painter and watercolorist. His subjects were very varied, and he painted cityscapes and landscapes as well as still lifes, nudes and figures. After a debut as a marine painter, especially of Scheldt views, in the 1940s he was influenced by Permeke's heavy coloration. From 1932, and especially after 1938 when he came regularly to the South of France, he painted in bright colors with a powerful brush.