Thierry Poncelet was born in 1946 in Brussels, Belgium. After studying Fine Arts at the St. Luc Academy, he joined Max Massot's workshop to learn the art of traditional painting and restoration.

After establishing himself as a renowned restorer he began to deal in fine arts and one day as he was working on an aristocrat's portrait, tired and bored, he had the sudden inspiration to replace her head by that of her dog.  The first aristochien  was born and since then many other aristochiens were born from forgotten family portraits which are admired worldwide.

As a restorer, Poncelet discovered with sadness that the art of portraiture was forgotten and most of 18th and 19th century ancestral portraits laid in attics or sold in flea markets. Thats where Thierry Poncelet found his inspiration of giving them a new life and new identity, in a way of paying them homage.

 

Thierry Poncelet

Promenade en Barque