Episode 16: 50,000 portraits, a Porsche and royals: inside Jacques Schneider’s world

50,000 portraits. 170 flags. A Porsche with 700 hours of paint.
This is the story of Jacques Schneider, an artist who has painted Luxembourg for 35 years.
And who never had a plan B.

QUICK JOURNEY

At 6, he paints an orange sun. His teacher calls him “deviant”.
His parents back him. He never stops.
15 years ago, he meets Grand Duke Henri.
He paints his first unofficial portrait, with the orange and blue stripe.
For National Day, he photographs 50,000 residents. That’s 10% of the country.
He spends 18 months with Porsche in Stuttgart to build a one-off car.
In 2025, he paints 13 portraits of Guillaume and Stéphanie.
In June 2026, he opens a gallery in Brussels.

WHAT’S INSIDE

In this episode, Jacques tells it all.

How an orange sun shaped his life.
Why he bans the Grand Ducal family from commissioning him.
How he randomly mixed 50,000 portraits across 170 flags.
What’s behind the Porsche with six world firsts.
Why he refuses to judge art competitions.
How he won over the Smurfs at his barber’s.
And why his best creation is his heart-shaped waffles.

WHERE WE FILMED

We filmed in his showroom at 9 rue Louvigny, in the heart of Luxembourg City. All around us: his lion, his canvases, his objects. He chose this street for a childhood memory. He used to walk here with his grandmother.

It’s a raw conversation. No filter. No PowerPoint.

⏱ CHAPTERS

[0:00] Introduction
[1:07] Who is Jacques Schneider
[1:47] The orange sun at age 6
[2:39] The family council
[4:35] The King and Queen of the Belgians
[7:01] No portrait without meeting
[7:36] The Brussels gallery
[8:33] 300 artworks across 1,000 m²
[9:52] 170 flags, 50,000 portraits
[14:16] Meeting Grand Duke Henri
[16:38] Staying independent
[18:06] 13 portraits of Guillaume and Stéphanie
[20:38] Who buys his portraits
[23:33] Why he refuses to be a judge
[24:30] Royalty as a business lever or not
[26:30] Knight of the Order of Merit
[30:55] No plan B
[32:43] The Smurfs collab
[34:27] His porcelain in 130 countries
[38:06] The rue Louvigny showroom
[38:53] The Porsche with 700 hours of paint
[43:18] How he picks his projects
[44:21] Art serving society
[48:44] 400 bomb disposals a year
[52:04] His three best works

🔗 LINKS

Full article and all episodes → https://shesaidyes.lu/podcast
Jacques Schneider → https://www.3xvive.lu/
Instagram Jacques Schneider → https://www.instagram.com/jacques_schneider
LinkedIn Jacques Schneider → https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacques-schneider-artiste-59056040/
Grand Ducal Court → https://www.monarchie.lu
Porsche (Sonderwunsch) → https://www.porsche.com
RAK Porcelain → https://www.rakporcelain.com
CFL → https://www.cfl.lu
Commune of Larochette → https://www.larochette.lu
Chamber of Deputies → https://www.chd.lu
Luxembourg Army (SEDAL) → https://www.armee.lu
Grand Ducal Police → https://police.public.lu
The Smurfs → https://www.smurf.com

🎙 WHO IS JACQUES SCHNEIDER?

Jacques Schneider is a Luxembourg painter, sculptor and designer. He has painted since age 6, nearly 35 years. He created the unofficial portraits of Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, then of Guillaume and Stéphanie. He made 170 flags featuring 50,000 resident portraits and a one-off Porsche built with 21 engineers. His porcelain, produced with RAK Porcelain, sells in 130 countries. He is a Knight of the Grand Ducal family’s Order of Merit. He shows his work in Luxembourg and in his Brussels gallery, opened in June 2026.

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