His first art lessons came at the , where he studied with . He then moved to Paris, continuing his studies with
Joseph-Benoît Suvée and
Jacques-Louis David. In 1804, he was awarded the
Prix de Rome for his painting
The Death of Phocion. This earned him his first commissions, which he spent a year fulfilling prior to his departure. He then spent eight years at several locations in Italy, copying the old masters and taking particular inspiration from
Raphael. While there, he was one of a large group of artists chosen to provide decorations for
Napoleon's visit at the
Palazzo del Quirinale although, as it turned out, he never produced more than sketches. After that, he spent some time in Paris and received a Gold Medal from Napoleon. While there, he also worked with
Godefroy Engelmann, one of the first lithographers in France. An exhibition in Ghent two years later led to his appointment as court painter to King William I of the Netherlands in 1815. In this position, he began a campaign for the return of several major art works that had been looted from Bruges by the
French Army; including pieces by
Michelangelo,
Jan van Eyck,
Hans Memling, and
Gerard David. In thanks for his successful efforts, the City Council of Bruges voted to award him a gold medal in 1816. He was elected a fourth class corresponding member living abroad of the
Royal Institute of the Netherlands in 1816. From 1825 to 1829, he painted several works in support of the
Greek War of Independence and styled himself "Joseph Dionysius Odevaere". He also wrote some treatises on art and was a regular, highly opinionated contributor to local periodicals. on His Deathbed'' (1826) In 1818, he married Sylvie de la Rue (1796–1845). After his death, in 1835, she married , Secretary of the
Provisional Government of Belgium. He was a founding member of the first
Société des douze. ==References==