Born in Zandvliet, a village near Antwerp, De Vree received his earliest training in the studio of his father, Albert De Vree, an accomplished landscape painter and etcher. Under his father’s disciplined guidance, Eric developed a classical foundation in drawing, colour, and composition. He went on to study the refined techniques of the Dutch Golden Age, particularly the painters of Leiden, and absorbed the dramatic chiaroscuro of Rembrandt - a legacy that would inform much of his mature work. The influence of the Old Masters is clear, yet De Vree’s approach is never imitative. His arrangements feel lived-in and sincere, never overly staged. His palette is rich but restrained, the backgrounds dark and velvety, allowing light to gently model the contours of a bowl or trace the edge of a glass. Over time, his technique has become increasingly painterly, evolving from fine detail to a looser, more luminous touch, shaped by the atmospheric influences of Belgian Luminism and Impressionism.