Culture of Belgium
Adolphe Sax, the inventor of the saxophone, was born in Belgium. The country has also a very active jazz scene that is achieving international recognition with bands like Aka Moon, Maak's Spirit and Octurn. Harmonicist Toots Thielemans, guitarist Philip Catherine and Django Reinhardt are probably the best known Belgian jazz musicians.
Henri Adolphe Schaep
Henri Adolphe Schaep was born in Mechelen as the son of Franciscus, a baker, and Maria-Theresia Wauters. The family moved to Antwerp in 1828. Henri Adolphe commenced his artistic studies at the Antwerp Academy of Fine Arts in 1838. His studies overlapped with those of Egide Linnig, another future marine painter who had commenced his studies at the Academy in 1834.
Schaep did not only study art but simultaneously developed a career as a military officer. This career path brought him to various locations: he was a lieutenant in Ghent in 1840, he was based in Antwerp from 1846 to 1849, in 1849 he was in Ostend, in 1855 he was a captain in Mechelen, in 1857 he was based in Liege, in 1861 he was back in Antwerp and in 1862 in Brussels.