Albert Desenfans

Albert Constant Desenfans (1845–1938) was a Belgian sculptor renowned for his realistic and expressive works. He studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels under Louis Jéhotte and Eugène Simonis. From 1866, he exhibited at numerous Belgian and international salons, creating religious, allegorical, mythological, and portrait sculptures, often based on designs by Xavier Mellery.

Desenfans received significant public commissions, contributing to landmarks such as the City Hall, the King's House (Broodhuis), the Palace of Justice in Brussels, and the House of the Province of Liège. He also collaborated with Thomas Vinçotte and Jef Lambeaux on sculptures for the Arcades of the Cinquantenaire in Brussels.

His smaller sculptures, executed in stone, marble, plaster, and ivory, are characterized by meticulous detail and a remarkable degree of verisimilitude. Among his most celebrated works is the bronze statue of General Chazal, featuring a watchful lion at his feet.