In the heart of Ghent, Albert Baertsoen painted his favorite hour: twilight. One of his paintings is of Maison de Bateliers, the boatmen's hiring hall. In the background are the Church of Saint-Michael and an old hotel left over from the First Empire. We look down the canal at a red boat, possibly similar to one where the artist had sat himself down to work. It may be that the affinity of Albert Baertsoen (1866-1922) for winter scenes had something to do with being born on January 9. What is certain is that neither his travels to Paris and London nor his artistic successes altered his love for Ghent, the city where he was born and where he died.

Belgium was the most industrialized of nations in 19th century Europe, and Ghent wa...