1940 during a bombing raid by British aircraft. The museum was closed during the war years and the painting was exposed to all manner of adverse weather conditions. In 1951 the work was moved into the Royal Army Museum in Brussels where a preliminary restoration was undertaken. Afterwards it was exhibited in the Army Museum until 1980. Subsequently, the painting has remained in storage, awaiting further restoration and a definitive destination. Honours 1919 : Grand officer in the Order of Leopold. 1945 : Member of the Royal Academy of Science, Letters and Fine Arts of Belgium. Career A. Bastien served from 1927 to 1945 as Professor of the Class of Painting after Nature ("Peinture d'après Nature", in French) at Brussels'Royal Academy of Fine Arts. He ensured the interim (1932–1933) of the Class of Landscape Painting ("Paysage") after the death of Professor Paul Mathieu, and before his replacement by Frans Smeers (1933–1946). He also held the Directorship of this institution at three occasions: from October 1928 to Januari 1929, from June 1929 to October 1930, and a three-year mandate from September 1935 to September 1938. Among his students was Wu Zuoren (Wu Tso-jen), who would become head of the China Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. See also Canadian official war artists War artist War art Notes References Mackerras, Colin and Amanda Yorke. (1991). The Cambridge handbook of contemporary China. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ; ; OCLC 220762013 State, Paul F. (2004). Historical Dictionary of Brussels. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. ; OCLC 260107147 External links Over the Top, Neuville-Vitasse, 1918 Canadian Snipers, Beaurain-en artois, 1918 1873 births 1955 deaths People from Ixelles Canadian war artists Belgian war artists 20th-century Belgian painters Members of the Royal Academy of Belgium Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts alumni Royal Academy of Fine Arts (Ghent) alumni