Portrait of the Artist
(oil on wood)

He was born in Flanders in 1965. Trained by his father, a professional artist, he began to paint in oils at the age of ten. At the age of fifteen he became fascinated by Rubens, whose works he had ample opportunity to study in the museums and churches of the nearby city of Antwerp, and set himself the goal of mastering Rubens's unparalleled techniques. On completing high school, at the age of eighteen, there was nothing the Academy of Art could teach him. Instead he set up as a professional painter and continued to pursue his goal of becoming a master in the tradition of Rubens.

In his singleminded pursuit of accuracy in materials and techniques and of perfection in execution he has gained respect for his work as an artist and an expert in the field, e.g. reconstructing and manufacturing the Old-Dutch lead white used by Rembrandt, and the vermilion employed by Rubens. He is now an examiner at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp.

Hans Laagland paints on wood panels, with authentic oils and colours, using the traditional techniques of Rubens. He does this both for period and modern subject matter. His oil paintings include still lifes, landscapes, nudes, copies of Rubens and portraits from life. He also has a large selection of drawings. Hans Laagland's work is greatly appreciated in Flanders and the Netherlands and he is in demand as a painter of formal portraits.