Joannes Jacobus Henricus Victor Winders was born in Antwerp on 14 May 1849. He came from an Antwerp family that was active in the construction industry. His grandfather was a contractor and his father, Jean-Baptiste Winders, was a contractor-architect who, from 1859, played a role in the construction of the
Brialmont Forts around the city. The young Jean-Jacques Winders followed in his father's footsteps, attending his father's construction sites since he was 17. He then studied at the
Royal Academy of Fine Arts of
Antwerp. By 1868 he had established himself as an architect, realizing the Antwerp house of painter Jules Wagner that year. Another important assignment was the
Royal Museum of Fine Arts in
Antwerp, which he designed with
Frans Van Dijk. Winders' style was initially eclectic, but in the late 1870s he drastically change his style to Flemish neo-Renaissence style, of which he became one of the most important exponents. == Selected works ==