Ecole belge: Double portrait de Joos Gorik Borginon et Barbara Hendrica Lindemans, huile sur toile, 20ème siècle

Work: 92,5 x 78,5 cm

Frame: 111 x 97 cm

Joos Gorik Borginon (Pamel, 7 October 1812 - 24 April 1897) married Barbara Hendrica (Henriette) Lindemans (Pamel, 21 April 1812 - 30 May 1895) in Pamel in 1840. Lindemans was a sensible woman, winning competitions organized by the government, which earned her a scholarship, enabling her to continue her studies at the Institut Mme de Beauvoir in Liège from 1824 to 1827. Co-founder of the girls' boarding school in Ledeberg, she became its first headmistress-teacher in 1829. According to her mother and brothers, marrying as a headmistress was not an option. But around 1840, Henriette decided to marry and persevered, even though she had to give up her directorship. She married Josse (Joos) Borginon and moved to the 'Withof', her husband's farm. When her sister Pauline died in 1848, Henriette was the 'only one' who could take over the management of the girls' boarding school; she became headmistress again. With a firm hand, if someone didn't do what she wanted, she could give them a severe telling-off, 'so loud that it could be heard across the street'. She raised her children in the boarding school, where the language of instruction was French. Henriette remained headmistress until 1878.