A Life Immersed in Landscape: Jan Baptiste de Jonghe Jan Baptiste de Jonghe, born in Kortrijk, Belgium, in 1785, emerged as a significant voice within the Romantic landscape tradition of the early 19th century. His life unfolded against a backdrop of shifting political landscapes and burgeoning national identity in Belgium, profoundly influencing his artistic focus on the serene beauty of his homeland. Coming from a prosperous merchant family—his father served as mayor of Kortrijk for a period—de Jonghe was afforded opportunities to pursue formal artistic training, initially at the Academy o…