Nestor Cambier (1879–1957) was a Belgian artist and draftsman whose portraits were compared favourably with those of John Singer Sargent but who now is largely forgotten. He also painted landscapes, city and interior views, still-lives, murals and stained glass, and also produced numerous pencil and chalk drawings.
He was born in Couillet (now part of Charleroi) in Belgium. He studied at the college of Ixelles, Brussels before entering the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, studying portraiture under the masters Joseph Stallaert and Gustave Vanaise until 1900. At twenty-one, he had already exhibited at the Brussels Salon, with a portrait of a young girl and a landscape.
In 1903, N. Cambier exhibited at the Triennial Salon of Beaux Arts at Brussels with pictures of a Brabançon innkeeper, a colourful Bazaar, a large tableau of the Cid and the Leper, and a study in pastels of Salome.
He went to the United States (1906–1909), working first at Ascenzo’s studios. He continued to paint portraits and in 1907 he exhibited at the Academy of Fine Art in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he won the John Wanamaker prize. Later, he designed large stained glass windows for the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, ,Newark, New Jersey, while it was still under construction. (However recent investigation shows that delays in construction resulted in the 214 stained glass windows not being completed until 1950, by when they had been re-designed by the maker, Franz Zettler.)
Here in the dark
I stand before you
Knowing this is my chance to show you my heart
This is the start
This is the start
I have so much to say and I'm hopin'
That your arms are open
Don't turn away, I want you near me
But you have to hear me
Here's where I stand
Here's who I am
Love me, but don't tell me who I have to be
Here's who I am, I'm what you see
You said I had to change and I was tryin'
But my heart was lyin'
I'm not that child any longer
I am stronger
Here's where I stand
Here's who I am
Help me to move on but please don't tell me how
I'm on my way, I'm movin' now
In this life we've come so far
But we're only who we are
With the courage of love
To show us the way
We've got the power to stand up and say
Here's where I stand
Here's where I am
Stand up and be counted, I'm counting on you
If you're with me
We'll make it through
Here's where I stand
Here's who I am
Love me, love me, love me and we'll make it through
Here's where I stand
Baby, baby, baby I'm counting on you
Here's where I stand
Love me, love me, love me and we'll make it through
I'm counting
I'm counting