Jacques Maes was born in Ixelles, Belgium in 1905. He was a painter and watercolorist of portraits, figures, landscapes and still life paintings. He was also a highly sought after designer and muralist.

He studied at the Brussels Academy from 1919 to 1923 under the master teachers and artists, J. Delville, H. Richter, C. Montald and G. Combaz.

He became a professor at the Academy of St. Josse-ten-Noode in 1955 and had as students, Louis Van Lint, Anne Bonnet and Gaston Bertrand, who all became renowned Belgian artists. He also became a professor at the Brussels Academy in 1954.

Maes participated in numerous national and international exhibitions, notably The Bicentennials at Venice and Sao Paolo. In 1924, he won the prestigious award, “Le Grand Prix Triennal de Peintre” and in 1930, he won the equally prestigious award, “Deuxieme Prix de Rome” and in 1938, the “Prix Oleffe.”

His other exhibits took place from 1925 to 1968 in various cities in Belgium as well as in France, Egypt, South Africa, Japan, Austria, and in many countries throughout North and South America.

From 1946 to 1948, Jacques Maes moved to Lima, Peru where he was elected as the head master teacher at the Academy of Peru.

He was elected as a full member of the Royal Belgium Academy in 1960.

Jacques Maes died in Benicarlo, Spain in 1968.

A retrospect of his works was held at the Schaerbeek City Hall in 1999.

Today, his works can be found in private and public collections, worldwide, including museums in Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent, Ixelles, La Louviere, Louvain, Liege, Mons, Tournai, as well as in Lima, Peru and Buenos Aires, Argentina.