Early Flemish painting
The Flemish school established itself in the 14th century, in opposition to the German or Cologne school, during what is known as the "Northern Renaissance". Flanders, Brabant and Hainaut enjoyed strong economic prosperity, and cities such as Bruges, Ghent, Tournai, Brussels and Antwerp became hotbeds of new art. The key figures of this period were the brothers Jan (1390-1441) and Hubert Van Eyck (1366-1426), Jérôme Bosch (1453-1516) and Pierre Brueghel the Elder (1525-1569). Their works, which spread throughout Europe and left their mark on international art history, can be seen today in the country's leading museums, including the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium. Jan Van Eyck is the most famous of the Flemish Primitives, yet the attribution of his works is disputed: it is unclear whether he or his brother Hubert was the author until the latter's death. The fundamental characteristics of Van Eyck's style are the reproduction of three-dimensional spaces through aerial perspective, the plasticity of forms and the realistic depiction of characters and their immediate surroundings. We find all these elements in The Mystic Lamb (1432), one of his most famous canvases, exhibited in Ghent's St. Bavo Cathedral. This polyptych is inscribed as having been begun by Hubert Van Eyck and completed by Jan in 1432. Apart from this exceptional masterpiece, Jan Van Eyck's output consists mainly of representations of the Virgin Mary and portraits. Van Eyck's technical contribution to Western painting was crucial: he was the father of oil painting, and brought the realism of detail (especially the rendering of materials) to a level never before achieved.
Parallel to the realist trend in Flemish art, Italy underwent its Renaissance and became the focus of marvelous progress, inspiring Flemish artists in their turn from the 16th century onwards. The influence of painters from the Roman school, such as Raphael (1483-1520) and Michelangelo (1475-1564), was felt by artists like Jean Mabuse (1478-1532), Bernard Van Orley (1487-1541) and Michiel Coxcie (1499-1592). The period of artistic renewal from 1500 to 1584 is referred to as the Flemish Renaissance.
Peter-Paul Rubens, or the second wind of Flemish painting
Just as Flemish art was beginning to lose its originality and native qualities, two artists revolutionized local painting: Adam Van Noort (1562-1641) and his pupil Pierre-Paul Rubens (1577-1640), who went on to become one of the greatest painters of his time, developing a singular style by reappropriating the qualities of various schools. He was born in 1577 in Siegen, near Cologne, where his Flemish parents had moved. Eleven years later, after his father's death, he returned to Antwerp, where he learned Flemish, French and Latin. He then began his apprenticeship as a painter, which he continued in Italy. During this period (1600-1608), he got to know the Venetians, Correggio and Caravaggio, and embarked on an extraordinary career throughout Europe (France, Spain, Netherlands, England). On his return to Belgium, the artist freed himself in part from the influences he had received to develop his own broad, Baroque style, in which dramatic effects are underpinned by brilliant colors and dynamic composition. With his religious paintings, Rubens placed himself at the service of the Catholic Counter-Reformation, but he also remained famous for his more carnal, secular compositions. You can discover the artist's world at the Rubens House in Antwerp (currently closed for renovation until 2030), where a dozen of his works are on display.
The 19th century: from neoclassicism to modern painting
The annexation of Belgium by France from 1793 to 1814 cost the Belgian arts a lot. This period was characterized by the dispersion of the Belgian heritage and the cultural domination of Paris over the entire region - an influence that remained strong even after independence. During the period of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands (1815-1830), the local scene experienced a certain revival, thanks in particular to the financial support of the sovereign William II, a lover of neoclassical art, as well as to the innovative spirit of the French painter exiled in Brussels, Jacques-Louis David (1748-1745).
It was in the second half of the 19th century that the Belgian scene really asserted itself through its innovative spirit, with major artists such as James Ensor (1860-1949), a painter, draughtsman and engraver. After a period at the Ostend Academy, the young James Ensor attended the Brussels Academy of Fine Arts from 1877 to 1880. He then returned to Ostend, where he remained for most of his life, and produced his first major works. At first, his paintings aroused sarcasm and misunderstanding because of his avant-garde style. In 1883, he participated in the creation of the group of Twenty. Although his work was mainly symbolist, Ensor was a precursor of expressionism. He created a fantastic world by exaggerating colors, lines and shapes. He had a pessimistic view of life and often portrayed himself as a suffering Christ. The masks, a central theme in his work, represent the dark side of human nature. At the age of 28, he painted L'Entrée du Christ à Bruxelles, his most famous work, which was very controversial at the time. Leading intellectuals such as Verhaeren and Demolder supported him and Ensor exhibited in Brussels at the Libre Esthétique salons. However, his work was not recognized when he was exhibited in Paris in 1894. It was not until the beginning of the 20th century that Ensor's genius began to be recognized and he finally achieved fame.
An abundant and diversified 20th century for Belgian art
The Belgian scene was active throughout the 20th century, at the heart of the major international trends. From Art Nouveau to Surrealism, the country is known for its talented artists who have brought their unique touch to the different movements that have crossed modern art. To discover them, visit the Royal Museum of Fine Arts during thematic exhibitions, the Modern part of the museum being closed for some time.
Among them, Léon Spilliaert (1881-1946), an artist from Ostend, who gracefully depicted the night landscapes of the seaside city, its beaches, its dikes and its dark squares. His works show a great solitude, a sense of melancholy and a bewitching darkness, reminiscent of the paintings of Edvard Munch, one of his influences. The painter frequented the milieu of Belgian symbolism, including the writer Maurice Maeterlinck (Nobel Prize for Literature in 1911) and the poet Émile Verhaeren. His works can be seen at the MuZee in Ostend.
Paul Delvaux (1897-1994) is also known for his dark and enigmatic paintings, but in a very different style than Spilliaert. After his training at the Brussels Academy of Fine Arts, the artist was influenced by impressionism and expressionism, before discovering surrealism in the 1930s. After visiting the Minotaur exhibition at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels in 1934, Delvaux became fascinated with painters such as de Chirico and Dali, and soon became one of the most famous representatives of Belgian surrealism. At the crossroads of the movements of his time, his singular style is recognizable at a glance. His paintings, often showing deserted landscapes or idle and sensual characters, are charged with a dreamlike atmosphere and numerous symbols. Among his key works are the series Squelettes (1939-1944), La Voix publique (1941), Le Jardin nocturne (1942), Les Courtisanes (1943), La Ville lunaire (1944), La Tentation de saint Antoine (1945-1946). He also made important decorations at the Kursaal of Ostend, the Palais des Congrès in Brussels, the Institute of Zoology in Liege and the Perier house in Brussels. At the end of his life he moved to the Belgian coast, where a foundation dedicated to his work was created in 1982, the picturesque Paul Delvaux Museum in Saint-Idesbald, a must-see place for any lover of his work.
The other giant of Belgian surrealism is undoubtedly René Magritte (1898-1967), whose museum is one of the key stops on any visit to Brussels. After studying at the Brussels Academy of Fine Arts, the young Magritte became a draughtsman in a wallpaper factory and at the same time devoted himself to his own creative work, producing mainly abstract paintings. As with Delvaux, the discovery of the work of Giorgio de Chirico was a real revelation for him. He then adopted a realistic style to represent everyday objects (shoes, keys, or the famous pipe). He found his place among the Belgian impressionist artists and intellectuals (Paul Nougé, Louis Scutenaire, E.L.T. Mesens, Marcel Lecomte, Camille Goemans, etc.) and eventually became the leader of this movement in Belgium - leaving behind a monumental body of work, with more than a thousand paintings.
Belgian photography at the heart of European trends
Belgium has few museums entirely dedicated to photography, which is nevertheless regularly found in museums of modern and contemporary art. Do not miss the Museum of Photography in Charleroi, an institution that stands out in Europe for its rich collections and remarkable programming.
Since the beginnings of photography, Belgium has had many practitioners, illustrating themselves in the different major currents that have marked the 8th art. From pictorialism to surrealism and reportage, great names such as Émile Chavepeyer (1893-1959), Serge Vandercam (1924-2005), Marcel Mariën (1920-1993) or Marcel Lefrancq (1924-1974), have marked the Belgian 20th century. On this scene, which is mainly dominated by men, an artist stands out who is unavoidable but has remained in the shadow of her husband, the famous Henri Cartier-Bresson. This is Martine Franck (1938-2012), originally from Antwerp, although she spent most of her life in England and the United States, where she mainly practiced portrait and documentary photography. She is remembered for her black and white images of intellectuals, artists and philosophers such as Marc Chagall and Michel Foucault. She was also president of the Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation and a member of Magnum Photos.
Belgian sculpture, a fascinating but poorly represented genre
Despite the many Belgian sculptors, the genre is not well represented in the country's museums. The Musée Royal des Beaux-Arts does, however, feature several works by the famous Constantin Meunier (1831-1905), whose former home-studio is now the Musée Meunier. Most of Brussels' parks are also home to imposing sculptures, such as the Jardin botanique, Parc royal, Square du Petit-Sablon, Parc du Cinquantenaire and Parc Josaphat. In terms of modern sculpture, the Middelheim Open-Air Sculpture Museum' s gardens are home to some very fine works dating from the 1950s to the present day. The museum, which has an international vocation, is not focused on Belgian creation, but nevertheless exhibits great Belgian names such as Rik Wouters (1882-1916), Constant Permeke (1886-1952), Jef Geys (1934-2018), Panamarenko (1940-2019) and Wim Delvoye (1965-).
A flourishing contemporary art
Brussels is at the heart of contemporary trends and is a dynamic European capital in this field. With a large number of art fairs and festivals every year, punctuated by small and large, trendy and alternative art spaces, the city always has something to discover in terms of current creation. The same goes for Antwerp, on the Flemish side, which has many renowned galleries, as well as an excellent museum of contemporary art, the MUKHA. The Museum of Contemporary Art in Leuven, nicknamed the M Museum, and the S.M.A.K in Ghent are also worth a visit.
The Belgian contemporary art scene has many collectives and enjoys a young and daring dynamic, which emanates from the country's excellent art schools (such as La Cambre or the LUCA School of Arts) and which takes advantage of the still reasonable rents that allow studios and artist-run spaces to blossom happily. More established artists are also making the country shine internationally, such as Luc Tuymans (1958-), Hans Op de Beeck (1969-) or Ann Veronica Janssens (1956-), with her unique colorful installations. Also worth mentioning is the duo of Harald Thys (1966-) and Jos de Gruyter (1965-), two artists whose striking installation Mondo Cane earned the Belgian Pavilion a historic prize during the 2019 Venice Biennale.
Between street art and comics
Street art in Belgium is highly developed, especially as it blends perfectly with the comic strip tradition, and benefits from numerous subsidies. Far from clichés, this rich and diverse art form deserves the full attention of even the most inexperienced visitors!
Discovering the many frescoes that dot the urban landscape is a fun way to explore Belgian cities, and a great way to get off the beaten track. In Brussels, we highly recommend the "Fais le trottoir" association, run by a group of enthusiasts who are delighted to help you discover the movement through guided tours, documentaries and other events. On the city's website, you'll also find a "comics walk", where you can discover the most emblematic characters of the 9th art, from Tintin to Lucky Luke and Corto Maltese (https://visit.brussels/fr/visiteurs/que-faire/bruxelles-capitale-de-la-bande-dessinee). But the capital is not the only one active in street art, and smaller towns such as Namur, Hasselt and Kessel-Lo also offer itineraries focusing on this theme.
For the more passionate, don't miss the Spray Can Arts association's program, which focuses on popular urban culture as a whole, even if street art remains their preferred subject. The association runs the Centrale des arts urbains in Liège, where it organizes numerous exhibitions and events. And MIMA, the Millennium Iconoclast Museum of Art, is gradually establishing itself as one of the capital's must-sees for urban art and 2.0 culture! Their impressive brick building overlooking the Brussels-Charleroi Canal is well worth a visit.
