(1805-1883)
The son of a baker, William Geefs was born in Borgerhout, near Antwerp, on 10 September 1805. He studied sculpture in Antwerp and won a prize at the Antwerp salon of 1828, which enabled him to study in Paris. In 1832, he completed his first bust of King Leopold I and he moved to Brussels the following year. He is known for his busts of members of the royal family and prominent statesmen, including Leopold I on the Colonne du Congrès, Charles Rogier, and Henri de Brouckère. His Général Augustin-Daniël Belliard (1836) on the rue Royale began a long tradition of larger than life, historically accurate sculptural depictions.
Geefs produced a great number of pieces with his four brothers overseeing a number of assistants. In 1838, he completed a Monument to the Combatants of 1830 for the place des Martyrs. From 1852 to 1861 Geefs served as burgomaster of Schaerbeek, where he died on 19 January 1883.
Historical Dictionary of Brussels. Paul F. State.