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International Art Treasures Web Magazine April 2005 |
Belgian RomanticismMarch 18 - July 21, 2005
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Belgian Romanticism is the period that arose during King Leopold I's reign of 1831-1865. The extraordinary exhibit is presented in three separate locations. The Antoine Wiertz Museum, ING Cultural Centre and the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium/Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique (MRBAB). |
Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
The MRBAB's chosen locale is in the Museum's building at the Place Royale. It is here that one will find Gustaf Wappers' Episode of the September Days 1830 in its recently restored frame.
Title: Episode of the September Days, 1830, 1835
Artist: Gustaf Wappers (Belgian 1803-1874)
Medium: Oil on Canvas
Dimensions: 444 x 660 cm
Permanent Collection and Image Courtesy: Brussels, Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
Exhibited at MRBAB
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The romanticism of Belgium is centered around passions and heady emotions encountered as the country came into its own, no longer under the control of foreign entities. Its own history was to be remembered and celebrated via creative endeavors. |
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Title: Alone on the World, 1848
Artist: Joseph Stevens (Belgian 1819-1892)
Medium: Oil on Canvas
Dimensions: 85.5 x 127 cm
Permanent Collection and Image Courtesy: Brussels, Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
Exhibited at MRBAB
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Approximately 250 paintings, sculptures and drawings comprise the exhibit at the three locations. |
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Title: Landscape of Latio with Cascades, 1825-29
Artist: Gilles-François Closson (Belgian 1796-1842)
Medium: Oil on Paper
Dimensions: 38 x 58 cm
Collections of the Cabinet des Estampes et Dessins de la Ville de Liège
Image Courtesy: Brussels, Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
Exhibited at MRBAB
ING Cultural Centre
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Louis Gallait was a history painter of note. The Holy Roman Emperor Charles V was regent in the land that would later be known as Belgium. He was born in Ghent, and having inherited the throne of Spain among others, he left his sister, Mary of Hungary as regent. Charles was the son of Ferdinand and the father of Philip who would marry Mary Tudor of England. |
Title: Temptation of Saint Anthony, 1838
Artist: Gustaf Wappers (Belgian 1803-1874)
Medium: Pencil, Watercolor and White Gouache on Paper
Dimensions: 22.5 x 29.8 cm
Permanent Collection and Image Courtesy: Brussels, Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
Exhibited at ING Cultural Centre
Italian born Louise-Marie d'Orleans was married to King Leopold I becoming Belgium's first Queen. Sadly her life was short lived and unhappy with her philandering husband.
Title: Album of Seventy-Two Watercolors, Ruins
Artist: Louise-Marie d'Orléans, Queen of Belgium (Belgian 1812-1850)
Medium: Watercolor on Paper
Dimensions: 57.5 x 42.5 cm
Permanent Collection: Brussels, Archives of the Royal Palace
Image Courtesy: Brussels, Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
Exhibited at ING Cultural Centre
Antoine Wiertz Museum
Title: The Greeks and the Trojan claiming the body of Patrocles, 1844-45
Artist: Antoine Wiertz (Belgian 1806-1865)
Medium: Oil on Canvas
Dimensions: 520 x 852 cm
Permanent Collection and Image Courtesy: Brussels, Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium,
Wiertz Museum
Exhibited at Wiertz Museum
Antoine-Joseph Wiertz, the Belgian Romantic painter, has a museum named for him in Brussels. The museum's origins were a collaboration between the artist, who wished his legacy assured, and the Belgian government who wanted to confirm the identity of their new country. In 1850 his government made the offer to provide a studio for him which became the museum bearing his name. The artist was less than pleased with the recognition not matching what he felt he deserved for his talent.
The macabre intrigued the artist and was reflected in some of his most noted works, such as The Premature Burial, inspired by the writings of Edgar Allan Poe.
Title: The Premature Burial, 1854
Artist: Antoine Wiertz (Belgian 1806-1865)
Medium: Oil on Canvas
Dimensions: 160 x 235 cm
Permanent Collection and Image Courtesy: Brussels, Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium,
Wiertz Museum
Exhibited at Wiertz Museum
History, social issues, religious influence and the macabre are all found in this enchanting exploration of the period, which coincides with the country's 175th birthday celebrations.