Belgian painting of the 17th century. Flemish painters of the 17th century Paintings by Belgian painters

N. Stepanln (fine arts); O. Shvidkovsky, S. Khan-Magomedov (architecture)

Already in the last decade of the 19th century. in the art of Belgium, the first signs of a departure from the democratic, popular foundations that formed the work of the largest Belgian artist Constantin Meunier appear. The vitality and grandeur of Meunier's images were inaccessible to his younger contemporaries. In the future, the fate of Belgian art is in many ways contradictory and dramatic.

The realistic trend that emerged in Belgian painting of the 19th century was developed by such masters as Léon Frederic (1856-1940), Eugene Larmanet (1864-1940) and others. Ordinary people, their everyday life - this is the theme of the works of these masters, but in its interpretation they depart from the heroic monumentality, activity and integrity, so characteristic of sculpture and paintings by C. Meunier. People on the canvases of L. Frederick appear in a much more ordinary, everyday plan. In Belgian art, mystical tendencies are combined with elements of naturalism, photographic accuracy in rendering the landscape, type, with a special sadness, leading the viewer to the idea of ​​the eternity of the tragic hopelessness of the world order. Even such a significant work in its theme as "Strike Evening" by E. Larmans (1894), not to mention the painting "Death" (1904; both - Brussels, Museum of Modern Art), is distinguished by a mood of despair and aimlessness of action.

The work of James Ensor (1860-1949) is most typical for the development of Belgian art. From genre realistic paintings Ensor gradually comes to symbolism. The fantastic, eerie images of this artist, his craving for allegories, the depiction of masks and skeletons, for the defiantly bright, almost loud color, were undoubtedly a kind of protest against the bourgeois narrow-mindedness and vulgarity of the bourgeois world. However, Ensor's satire is devoid of specific social content, it seems to be a satire on the human race, and in these properties of his art one cannot fail to see the embryo of further formalistic deviations in the art of Belgium.

J. Ensor occupies a special place in the graphics of Belgium. His original etchings full of nervous energy are very expressive, they convey an atmosphere of inner excitement and anxiety. Especially dramatic are the landscapes View of Mariakerke (1887) and Cathedral (1886; both in the office of prints at the Royal Library in Brussels), built on the sharp and paradoxical contrast of the majestic creation of man and the crowd swarming like an alarmed anthill at the foot of the Gothic temple. The combination of satire with fantasy - a national tradition of Belgian art dating back to I. Bosch - finds a new and sharp refraction here.

Literary symbolism associated with the name of Maurice Maeterlinck, the appearance in the architect and applied art of Belgium of new stylistic phenomena associated with the Art Nouveau movement (architect A. van de Velde and others), played a significant role in the fine arts of Belgium. Under their influence in 1898-1899. the "1st Latem group" was formed (named after the place where the artists settled - the village of Latem-Saint-Martin near Ghent). This group was headed by the sculptor J. Minne, it included G. van de Wustein, V. de Sadeler and others. Their creativity was based on the idea of ​​the priority of the "higher" spiritual world over reality. Overcoming impressionistic trends, these masters tried to move away "from the surface of phenomena", "to express the spiritual beauty of things." The "Latemians" turned to the national pictorial traditions, to the Dutch primitives of the 14-16th centuries, but in their work, which most fully expressed the ideas of symbolism and then developed under the sign of the ever-increasing expressionism, they were, in fact, very far from those traditions, to which they referred. II in the austere, beautiful landscapes of Valerius de Sadeler (1867-1914) and in the mystical works of the younger member of the group, Gustav van de Wustein (1881-1947), there is no place for the image of a person.

Pointelism also developed quite strongly at the beginning of the century, the brightest representative of which in Belgium was Theo van Reiselberg (1862-1926).

In the early 20s. was created "2nd Latem group", which worked under the influence of expressionism, although expressionism itself in Belgium, associated with the tragic events of the First World War, takes on a special color. The head of this direction was Constant Permeke (1886-1952). In the large, widely written canvases of this master, the plots familiar to Belgian art - land, sea, images of peasants - are painted in tones of tragedy and deep spiritual confusion. Through all the deliberate deformation, the emphasis on the spiritual limitation and rudeness of the peasant images of Permeke, his sympathy and sympathy for people who allowed the artist to create emotionally impressive images break through. Gloomy, dull coloring, indistinct action, immobility of human characters convey the mood of sorrowful forebodings and hopelessness (The Betrothed, 1923; Brussels, Museum of Modern Art).

Gustave de Smet (1877-1943), Jean Brusselmans (1884-1953) reworked the principles of expressionism in their own way, the first - simplifying the forms, attaching great importance to the compositional harmony of their paintings, the second - increasing, bringing to the piercing power of the color system of their landscapes. Interest in color as a carrier of emotional impact in painting connected Brusselsmans with the group of "Brabant Fauves", which were joined by R. Woutsrs, E. Taitgat, F. Cox. Of particular value is the art of Rick Wouters (1882-1916). The enthusiasm for brightly decorative color combinations does not overshadow for this artist the psychological qualities of his models; in contrast to the French Fauves, Wouters is looking for plasticity, volumetricness of things - such are his "Lesson" (1912; Brussels, Museum of Fine Arts), dramatic painted later "Self-portrait with a black bandage" (1915; Antwerp, collection of L. van Bogart), "Nele in red ”(1915; private collection).

Since the 30s. In Belgium, surrealism is developing, two representatives of which are gaining wide popularity - R. Magritte (b. 1898) and P. Delvaux (b. 1897). These masters are characterized by a combination of purely salon beauty with a sick fantasy in the very combinations of individual parts of the composition, obsessions of the erotic plan, etc. At the same time, artists-"intimists" - Albert van Dyck (1902-1951), Jacques Mas (b. 1905) worked with them. ), who limited their creativity to the framework of a narrowly intimate landscape and genre painting. The painters L. van Lint (b. 1909) and R. Slabbink (b. 1914) were initially associated with the "intimists"; to abstract painting, which was widespread and recognized in Belgium.

Few of the masters of Belgian painting remain in the 20th century. in realistic positions. The most significant of them is Isidor Opsomer (b. 1878), the author of sharp, vitally expressive and deeply psychological portraits ("Portrait of K. Huysmans", 1927; Antwerp, Royal Museum of Fine Arts). Opsomer also created a number of still lifes, very picturesque, fresh and vibrant in color.

Social themes, themes of the struggle of the Belgian people for their rights are heard in the works of Pierre Polyus (b. 1881) and Kurt Peyser (1887-1962), and especially the young progressive artist Roger Somville (b. 1923), who also works in the field of monumental painting, stained glass and carpet art. Large thematic paintings on the themes of the struggle of the Belgian people are created by E. Dubrenfo, L. Deltour, R. Somville, these artists work in close contact with architects.

The modern Belgian graphic school is characterized by a bold formulation of new themes and new stylistic problems. In addition to the already named D. Ensor, the largest etcher in Belgium was Jules de Breiker (1870-1945). His pages are devoted to the life of urban slums, the social contrasts of the modern capitalist world. Breaker's piercing gaze sees the tragicomic aspects of life, and, despite the analytical nature of his work, they are fanned with deep compassion for people. In this sense, many of Breaker's sheets (Death Soars Over Flanders, 1916) are associated with the folk traditions of Belgian art.

The most prominent representative of modern graphic art in Belgium is Frans Mase-rel (b. 1889), who also worked in the field of monumental and easel painting. Maserel's creative activity is inextricably linked with the interests of the advanced circles of not only the Belgian, but the French and German intelligentsia. Since the First World War, when Maserel came out with a series of harsh anti-militaristic newspaper drawings, he asserts himself as a master who fully devoted his work to the struggle of humanity for lofty humanistic ideals. During this period, Maserel was closely associated with leading journalists and artists, friends with Romain Rolland; at the same time he began his activity as an illustrator, the first woodcut series were created ("The Way of the Cross of a Man", 1918; "My Book of Hours", 1919, etc.) - In these series, as in a silent chronicle, the life of a modern person passes through, his struggle, the growth of his consciousness, his joys and sorrows. The sharpness of contrasts, brevity and expressiveness of pictorial means often bring Maserel's engravings closer to the poster.

Along with the greatest masters of modern European culture, F. Maserel strives for the organic development of the traditions of the democratic culture of the 19th century, the traditions of realism and humanism, and a high effective philanthropy. At the same time, solving the fundamental social problems of our time in art, Maserel constantly strived to expand the means of realistic art, to create a new realistic visual language, consonant with the modern worldview.

The language of Maserel's engravings is characterized by brevity, meaningfulness, saturated with deep associations of metaphor. Maserel's sheets have a subtext; for all their expressive catchiness, they unfold their content gradually. The depth of the author's intention is hidden not only in each sheet, but also in the ratio of the sheets of each thematic series, in their sequence, in their plot and emotional differences and ideological and artistic unity. The language of contrast, characteristic of engraving, in the hands of Maserel becomes a flexible weapon of social characterization, serves to convey the most subtle lyrical feelings and a direct propaganda appeal.

A magnificent series of engravings dedicated to the modern city ("City", 1925). The expressiveness of the drawing and the entire composition never turns into excessive deformation, Maserel's language is understandable. Even resorting to symbolism (The Siren, 1932), the artist does not deviate from pictorial concreteness, he consciously strives for clarity, for the ability to speak with people with his art. Notes of optimism are especially strong in the last works of Maserel, his series "From Black to White" (1939), "Youth" (1948), in the artist's paintings. Exposing the vices of modern bourgeois society, Maserel never loses a clear social criterion, he believes in progressive forces, believes in the ultimate victory and greatness of man. Maserel's folk art is deeply imbued with the idea of ​​the struggle for peace, Maserel is an example of a fighter artist who serves the lofty ideals of justice with his art. “I'm not an esthete enough to be just an artist,” Maserel said.

L. Spilliart (1881-1946), who almost did not experience the influence of expressionism, a master of lyrical, restrained in color watercolors ("Gust of Wind", 1904; "White Clothes", 1912), stands somewhat apart in the Belgian graphics.

The most significant figure in the sculpture of Belgium in the 20th century is Georges Minne (1866-1941). A student of Rodin, Minne had little to do with the creative principles of his teacher; friendship with Maeterlinck had a much greater influence on the formation of his personality. Based on abstract, general ideas, Minne gives a somewhat abstract spirituality to her works. He is a master of subtle and accurate gesture transmission; the constant striving to express concepts, and not concrete manifestations of human feelings, leads the sculptor to some far-fetched images, distortion of the plastic form. Such are his "Mother mourning her child" (1886, bronze; Brussels, Museum of Modern Art), "A Young Man Kneeling" (1898, marble; Essen, Folkwang Museum). In 1908-1912. Minne turns to modernity, his portraits of Belgian workers are based on careful observation of nature and continue the tradition of sculpture of the 19th century. At the end of his life, in drawings on religious subjects, the symbolic and mystical features inherent in Minne's work appear again.

In general, modern Belgian sculpture develops under the sign of naturalistic and formalistic searches, with the exception of the work of S. Leple (b. 1903), who creates emotional, beautiful portrait busts and sculptural compositions, and O. Espers (b. 1887), a master who deliberately imitates Negro primitives.

Medal art, which is traditional for this country, is undergoing great development in Belgium. Plastics are also associated with modern Belgian decorative ceramics (workshop in Dur), decorative sculpture (master P. Kai; b. 1912), painted decorative vessels with a striving for decorative brightness, naturalness of forms and decor, organic connection with modern architectural interior.

In the late 19th and early 20th century. in Belgium there is a rapid growth of industrial and commercial cities on the basis of the intensive development of the country's natural resources (iron ore and coal) and the predatory exploitation of the vast African colonies. The spontaneous distribution of industry, private ownership of land and the administrative independence of the suburbs (communes) characteristic of Belgium impeded the normal development and growth of large cities, reconstruction work in which was mainly limited to the improvement of the center and the development of urban transport. The aggravation of the housing crisis has caused various forms of housing construction of "cheap" residential buildings for workers: joint-stock, cooperative and charitable societies.

During this period, in the cities of Belgium, a widespread construction of new types of industrial, business and public buildings began, reflecting both the development of the Economy and the emergence of a new customer, in particular, such as the working class organized in trade unions - the construction of the so-called people's houses on a cooperative basis. (for example, in Brussels, designed by the architect V. Orth in 1896-1899), where trade, cultural, educational and office premises were united in one building.

In the early 1890s. Belgium is becoming one of the main (in European architecture) centers of the struggle against the canons of classicism and eclecticism (including the so-called national romanticism). At the origins of the emergence of a new "style" - European Art Nouveau, were the Belgian architects A. van de Velde, V. Horta, P. Ankar, whose work during this period was characterized by the rejection of the stylistic eclecticism of 19th century architecture. and persistent attempts to find a modern style by taking advantage of the possibilities of new materials, designs and taking into account new functional requirements for buildings.

Henri van de Velde (1863-1957) was one of the largest representatives and ideologists of European modernity. He opposed the canons of the classics and "façade", fought for a volumetric composition, for a new approach to creating an interior and household items. At the same time, he was opposed to the introduction of industrial methods of mass production into the processes of building buildings and the manufacture of household items, defended artisanal methods of producing household products and advocated the individuality of each project.

The second major supporter of Art Nouveau Victor Horta (1861-1947) was the architect who not only for the first time applied the creative principles of Art Nouveau in practice (a mansion on Turen Street in Brussels, 1892-1893), but also largely determined the direction of the search for the architectural decor of this “ style ". At the turn of the 1880-1890s. For several years he was engaged in intensive laboratory formal-aesthetic searches for a new decor and was the first to use an elastic winding line of "whipstop" (Horta's line), which then became one of the characteristic features of the entire decorative art of Art Nouveau and was most widespread in almost all European countries at the end of 1890- early 1900s.

On the development of the creative directions of Belgian architecture of the 20-30s. could not but be influenced by the fact that before the war Belgium was one of the main centers of development of Art Nouveau, and such major architects as van de Velde and Horta continued to work intensively in the post-war years, and although they moved away from the orthodox Art Nouveau, but were very far from radical innovation in their work. True, van de Velde tried during this period to develop the rationalistic sides of modernity. However, in fact, he was going through a stage in his work that, on the whole, had already passed through the rationalistic directions of European architecture in the pre-war years. Horta, under the influence of American architecture (he was in the United States in 1916-1919), tried to spread neoclassicism in Belgian architecture using a simplified order devoid of decorative elements (Palace of Fine Arts in Brussels, 1922-1928).

The rationalistic trend in the architecture of Belgium in the 20-30s. was associated primarily with the work of young architects, whose main field of activity was the so-called "social" construction of cheap housing, carried out by municipalities and cooperatives using state loans. This construction, due to the extreme limited funds allocated for it, required the architects to use new Effective building materials and structures in their projects, to create a rational layout of apartments. The construction of cheap houses was actually that creative laboratory where architects, in an effort to create a relatively comfortable housing for workers in the face of austerity, tried to use the principles of typification and the achievements of applied sciences (for example, the requirement of insolation, that is, lighting with direct sunlight), introduced into mass housing modern sanitary equipment, central heating, electricity, refuse chutes and built-in furniture, and also sought to link the architectural image of the building with its new functional and structural basis.

One of the first modern residential complexes not only in Belgium, but also in Europe was built by the project of Victor Bourgeois (1897-1962) near Brussels in 1922-1925. the village of Cité Modern (modern city). Here, new planning techniques for those years were applied: special green areas for recreation were provided in the quarters, playgrounds for children were arranged, houses were built taking into account the most favorable orientation. Moreover, Bourgeois was so consistent in carrying out the principle of the most advantageous orientation of apartments that a number of houses that could not be placed in the north-south direction for reasons of the general composition of the village layout (for example, to create a closed space in the central square), he designed with ledges (sawtooth in plan). Apartments in the houses of the village were designed with through ventilation and with the obligatory daylight illumination of all premises. The appearance of the houses reflects such characteristic features of reinforced concrete as a flat roof, corner and recumbent windows, light canopies over the entrances.

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School construction is of great interest from the point of view of the development of rationalistic trends in post-war Belgian architecture, where the search for a functional solution to the plan and the volumetric-spatial composition of the building, taking into account the new requirements of the educational process, was carried out in the same way as in the construction of cheap dwellings, in conditions of the strictest cost savings.

New trends in the field of architecture, although with difficulty, nevertheless made their way in the construction of unique public buildings. The 1935 International Exhibition in Brussels, the traditional appearance of many of the pavilions of which concealed their modern constructive basis, became a kind of arena for the struggle of rationalist trends with neoclassicism and eclecticism. Such is, for example, the Great Palace of the Century, built by the architect Jean van Peck. The bold construction of the ceiling of its huge hall (reinforced concrete arches of a parabolic shape) is not revealed in any way in the external appearance of the building, the facade of which is a stepped composition, stylized in the spirit of neoclassicism. However, even at this exhibition, in a number of pavilions (albeit not the main ones), new materials and structures (glass, reinforced concrete) were boldly used to create the appearance of a modern building.

The destruction caused by the Second World War required extensive restoration work. Moreover, in contrast to restoration construction after the First World War, when the desire to restore much in its former form prevailed, in the new conditions restoration was combined with reconstruction work, especially in the old districts of cities, where intricate planning and narrow streets caused transport difficulties. Broadcast urban plans, created in large numbers in post-war Belgium, ultimately boiled down to specific measures to interchange traffic in the central region of Brussels, timed to coincide with the organization of the 1958 International Exhibition in Brussels. In order to unload the transport network of the central part of the city from the transit traffic of passengers between the two dead-end railway stations in Brussels, a through connection of their tracks was carried out by a tunnel with a device in the center of the city of an underground station.

Housing construction in post-war Belgium is of considerable interest. Here we can note the overcoming of the traditions of urban development with single-family houses with "vertical" apartments, individual rooms of which are located on several floors, and a decisive transition to the construction of modern types of apartment buildings (sectional, gallery, tower), combined into residential complexes, including a number of public buildings (mainly utility and retail). Such residential complexes are usually located on undeveloped plots: the Kiel complexes in Antwerp (architects R. Brahm, R. Mas and V. Marmans, 1950-1955), on the Maneuver Square in Liege (project of the architects of the EGAU group, 1956) and others. Residential complexes are built up, as a rule, with houses of several types, and to increase the area of ​​undeveloped territory, many houses are placed on supports, often V-shaped, which gives the composition of new Belgian residential complexes spatiality, a certain formal acuteness and originality.

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In densely built up old districts of cities, where houses of different eras with narrow multi-storey facades stand in continuous rows along the streets, new houses have to be built into this "layer cake". Moreover, Belgian architects do not seek in these cases to imitate the appearance of neighboring houses, but boldly introduce a modern building made of concrete and glass into a number of houses of different eras, which gives a special flavor to the entire development. These new buildings are, as a rule, apartment buildings, in the design of which architects have to show truly virtuoso skill and ingenuity, since a narrow section makes it possible to arrange window openings only on the torns of the house (towards the street and into the courtyard).

Since the second half of the 50s. in Belgian architecture, the influence of the American variety of functionalism - the school of Mies van der ROE - increased. This primarily applies to the construction of office buildings, one of which is the Social Security building in Brussels, built in 1958 by the architect Hugo van Kuijk. Conveniently located on one of the highest points of the city, this building is a flat, tall glass prism with a rectangular base, as if growing out of a wider stylobate. The building closes the perspective of one of the main thoroughfares of the city and is the compositional center of a complex but expressive ensemble, including the surrounding buildings of different times and a picturesquely planned shady park located in front of the building, in which numerous sculptures of Msnier are placed outdoors. These realistic sculptures contrast sharply with the modern appearance of the building, the urban character of which is further emphasized by the stream of vehicles speeding along the modern highway, which goes into a tunnel near the building.

One of the most famous and undoubtedly one of the best works of Belgian architecture of the post-war period is the building of the new Brussels air terminal, built in connection with the 1958 exhibition by the architect M. Brunfo. In the planning and volumetric-spatial composition of this building, both purely utilitarian and artistic tasks are successfully solved. The most impressive is the interior of the main operating room. The hall is covered with cantilever aluminum trusses 50 m long, resting on ^ -shaped supports. One of the longitudinal walls of the hall has been turned into a huge glass screen facing the summer field.

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The 1958 Brussels International Exhibition was a significant event in the architectural life of Belgium. Belgian architects were directly involved in the creation of many exhibition pavilions and other buildings, the construction of which was associated with its opening. Among these buildings, one can note such peculiar structures as the "Atomium" (engineer A. Waterkein, architects A. and J. Polak), which can be classified as symbolic monuments; pavilion "Reinforced concrete boom" - with a console extension of 80 m (engineer A. Paduard, architect J. van Dorselaer), which demonstrated the constructive capabilities of reinforced concrete, as well as the Information Center Pavilion built in the center of Brussels, the ceiling of which is a saddle shell resting on two reinforced concrete supports in the form of a hyperbolic paraboloid, made of a wooden three-layer glued board (architects L. J. Boche, J. P. Blondel and O. F. Philippon, engineer R. Sarger).

Among them, you can also see a portrait of one of the most famous masters of Flanders of that era, Adrian Brouwer (1606-1632) , whose paintings were collected by Rubens himself (there were seventeen of them in his collection)... Each piece by Brower is a gem of painting. The artist was endowed with a huge talent for color. The theme of his work, he chose the everyday life of the Flemish poor - peasants, beggars, vagabonds - languishing in its monotony and emptiness, with its wretched entertainment, sometimes disturbed by the outbreak of wild animal passions. Brower continued the traditions of Bosch and Brueghel in art with his active rejection of the squalor and ugliness of life, stupidity and animal baseness of human nature, and at the same time a keen interest in the uniquely characteristic. He does not aim to unfold a broad background of social life for the viewer. Its strength lies in depicting specific genre situations. He especially possesses the ability to express in facial expressions various affects of feelings and sensations experienced by a person. In contrast to Rubens, van Dyck and even Jordanes, he does not think about any ideals and noble passions. He sarcastically observes a person as he is. In the museum you can see his painting "Drinking Companions", remarkable for its delicate light color, strikingly conveying lighting and atmospheric conditions. The squalid cityscape near the rampart, together with the roaming players, causes a heart-pounding melancholy in the soul. This mood of the artist himself, talking about the dull hopelessness of existence, is certainly deeply dramatic.

Frans Hals

The Dutch painting department is relatively small, but it contains canvases by Rembrandt, Jacob Ruisdael, Little Dutchmen, masters of landscape, still life, genre scenes. A curious portrait of the merchant Willem Heitheissen, the work of the great Dutch artist Frans Hals (1581/85-1666) ... Heitheissen was a wealthy but narrow-minded and extremely vain man. Rustic by nature, he nevertheless strove to resemble noble aristocrats with the elegance that seemed to be allowed to acquire his wealth. The pretensions of this upstart are ridiculous and alien to Khals. Therefore, so persistently, with a certain amount of sarcasm, he makes the portrait image ambiguous. First we notice Heitheissen's relaxed posture, his rich smart suit, a hat with a dandy wrinkled brim, and then - an expressionless, pale, already middle-aged face with a dull look. The prosaic essence of this person appears, despite all the tricks to hide it. The inner inconsistency and instability of the image is revealed most of all by the originally solved composition of the portrait. Heitheissen, with a whip in his hand, as if after a horse ride, sits on a chair, which he seems to be swinging. This pose suggests that the artist quickly fixes the state of the model in a short period of time. And the same pose gives the image a touch of some inner relaxation and lethargy. There is something pitiful in this man trying to hide from himself the inevitable wilting, vanity of desires and inner emptiness.

Lucas Cranach

The brilliant work of Lucas Cranach the Elder stands out in the German painting section of the Brussels Museum. (1472-1553) ... This is a portrait of Dr. Johann Schering, dated 1529. The image of a strong-willed, strong person is typical of the art of the German Renaissance. But Cranach each time captures the individual qualities of the mind and character and reveals them in the physical appearance of the model, sharply captured by its uniqueness. In the stern look of Shering, in his face there is a kind of cold obsession, rigidity and unyielding. His image would be simply unpleasant if the enormous inner strength did not evoke a feeling of respect for the peculiar character of this person. The virtuosity of the artist's graphic skill is striking, so acutely conveying the ugly large facial features and many small details of the portrait.

Italian and French collections

The collection of paintings by Italian artists may arouse the interest of museum visitors, as it contains works by Tintoretto, the great painter, the last titan of the Italian Renaissance. “The execution of St. Mark ”is a canvas of the cycle dedicated to the life of the saint. The picture is permeated with stormy drama, passionate pathos. Not only people, but also the sky in torn clouds and the raging sea seemed to mourn the death of a person.

The masterpieces of the French collection are the portrait of the young man Mathieu Le Nain and the landscape of Claude Lorrain.

In its section of old art, there are currently more than a thousand hundred works of art, many of which are capable of delivering deep aesthetic pleasure to the viewer.

Jacques Louis David

The second part of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts is a collection of 19th and 20th century art. They contain mainly works by Belgian craftsmen. The most outstanding work of the French school, kept in the museum, is "Death of Marat" by Jacques Louis David (1748-1825) .

David is a famous painter of France, the head of revolutionary classicism, whose historical paintings played a huge role in awakening the civic consciousness of his contemporaries in the years preceding the French bourgeois revolution. Most of the artist's pre-revolutionary paintings were written on plots from the history of Ancient Greece and Rome, but the revolutionary reality forced David to turn to modernity and find in it a hero worthy of being an ideal.

“Marat is David. Year two ”- such is the laconic inscription on the picture. It is perceived as an epitaph. Marat - one of the leaders of the French Revolution - was killed in 1793 (by revolutionary calculus in the second year) royalist Charlotte Corday. "Friend of the people" is depicted at the time of death, immediately following the blow. A bloody knife is thrown near the medicinal bath where he worked despite physical suffering. A harsh silence fills the picture, which sounds like a requiem for a fallen hero. His figure is powerfully sculpted in chiaroscuro and is likened to a statue. The thrown back head and the fallen hand seemed to be frozen in eternal solemn peace. The composition amazes with the rigor of the selection of objects and the clarity of linear rhythms. The death of Marat was perceived by David as a heroic drama of the fate of a great citizen.

The Belgian François Joseph Navez became a disciple of David, who lived the last years of his life in exile and Brussels. (1787-1863) ... Until the end of his life, Navez remained faithful to the tradition created by his teacher, especially in the portrait, although he introduced a certain touch of romantic interpretation of the image into this genre. One of the artist's famous works, "Portrait of the Emptinn Family", was painted in 1816. The viewer is involuntarily conveyed that the young and beautiful couple are united by feelings of love and happiness. If the image of a woman is full of calm joy, then the man's one is fraught with some romantic mystery and a slight shade of sadness.

Belgian painting of the XIX XX centuries

In the halls of the museum you can see the works of the largest Belgian painters of the 19th century: Henri Leys, Joseph Stevens, Hippolyte Boulanger. Jan Stobbarts is featured in one of his best paintings, The Farm at Kreiningen, which faithfully depicts peasant labor in Belgium. Although the artist was self-taught, the picture is excellent compositionally and is distinguished by the high quality of painting. Its theme may have been inspired by Rubens' painting The Return of the Prodigal Son. Stobbarts was one of the first painters of the 19th century to proclaim the principles of realism.

The beginning of his artistic career was difficult. Accustomed to the romantic concept of the artistic image, the Antwerp public rejected his true paintings with indignation. This antagonism was so strong that Stobbarts was eventually forced to move to Brussels.

The museum has twenty-seven canvases by the famous Belgian artist Henri de Braqueler (1840-1888) , who was the nephew and student of A. Leys, an outstanding historical painter. De Brackeler's heightened interest in the national history of Belgium, its traditions, way of life, and culture combined with a strange feeling of love, full of slight regret and longing for the past. His genre scenes are imbued with memories of the past, his characters are reminiscent of people of the past centuries, surrounded by antiques and objects. There is undoubtedly a moment of stylization in de Braqueler's work. In particular, his painting "The Geographer" resembles the works of the Dutch masters of the 17th century G. Metsu and N. Mas. In the painting, we see an old man sitting on a 17th century velvet stool, immersed in the contemplation of an old painted satin.

Painting by James Ensor (1860-1949) "The Lady in Blue" (1881) bears traces of the strong influence of French impressionism. The picturesque range consists of blue, bluish gray and green tones. A lively and free smear transmits vibration and air movement.

The pictorial interpretation of the picture turns an everyday motive into a poetic scene. The artist's heightened pictorial perception, a penchant for fantasy, a constant desire to transform what he saw into something unusual is reflected in his brilliant still lifes, the most successful example of which is the Brussels Scat. The sea fish is repulsively beautiful with its harsh pink color and its seemingly blurry shape, and there is something unpleasant and disturbing in its mesmerizing piercing gaze directed directly at the viewer.

Ensor lived a long life, but the activity of his work fell from 1879 to 1893. Ensor's irony, rejection of the ugly traits of human nature with merciless sarcasm manifests itself in numerous paintings depicting carnival masks, which can also be seen in the Brussels museum. Ensor's continuity with the art of Bosch and Bruegel is undeniable.

The finest colorist and gifted sculptor who died in World War I, Rick Wouters (1882-1916) represented in the museum by both paintings and sculptural works. The artist experienced the strongest influence of Cezanne, joined the trend of the so-called "Brabant Fauvism", but nevertheless became a deeply original master. His temperamental art is imbued with an ardent love for life. In The Lady with the Yellow Necklace, we recognize his wife, Nel, perched in a chair. The festive sound of the yellow color of the curtains, the red - checkered plaid, green garlands on the wallpaper, blue - the dress evokes a feeling of joy of being that captures the whole soul.

The museum contains several works of the outstanding Belgian painter Permeke (1886-1952) .

Constant Permeke is widely known as the head of Belgian Expressionism. Belgium was the second country after Germany where this movement gained a great influence in the artistic environment. The heroes of Permeke, mostly people from the people, are depicted with deliberate rudeness, which, according to the author's idea, should reveal their natural strength and power. Permeke resorts to deformation, a simplified color scheme. Nevertheless, in his "Betrothed" one feels a kind of monumentality, albeit primitive images, a desire to reveal the character and relationship of the sailor and his girlfriend.

Among the masters of the realistic direction of the 20th century, Isidor Opsomer and Pierre Polyus stand out. The first is known as a remarkable portrait painter ("Portrait of Jules Destre"), the second - as an artist who devoted his work, like K. Meunier, to the depiction of the difficult life of the Belgian miners. The halls of the museum also showcase the works of Belgian artists belonging to other trends in contemporary art, mainly surrealism and abstractionism.

Contemporary Belgian artist Debora Missoorten was born and still lives in Antwerp, Belgium, where she works as an independent professional artist. She graduated from the Academy of Arts with a degree in theater costume design.

Contemporary artists of Belgium. Jean-claude dresse

Jean-Claude is one of the few artists of our time who, drawing on great examples of the past, was able to revise and edit them in accordance with his personal vision. He fills his works with emotions in such a way that they return the viewer to the source of this emotionality, enriched, through the efforts of the author, with a carefully developed concept of the painting, color and harmony. The artist does this in order to make us enjoy unraveling the mysteries surrounding this source.

I try to show the invisible. Juan maria bolle

Juan Maria Bolle is a famous Flemish (Belgian) artist, born in Vilvoorde, near Brussels, Belgium, in December 1958. In 1976 he graduated from the Royal Athenaeum High School in his hometown. In 1985 he completed his studies at the Art Institute St. Lucas in Brussels.

Passion doesn't need a label. Peter Seminck

Peter Seminck is a famous Belgian artist born in Antwerp in 1958. Educated at the Schoten Art Academy, first received a bachelor's degree and then a master's degree in fine arts. He does not limit himself in themes, he paints various paintings, mainly in oil on canvas. He currently lives and works in Malle, a suburb of Antwerp, Belgium.

Contemporary Belgian artist. Debora Missoorten

Contemporary Belgian artist Debora Missoorten was born and still lives in Antwerp, Belgium, where she works as an independent professional artist. She graduated from the Academy of Arts with a degree in theater costume design.

Contemporary artists of Belgium. Frederic dufoor

Contemporary artist Frédéric Dufour was born in 1943 in Tournais, Belgium; he was educated at the Saint-Luc Institute in Tournai and then at the Academy of Mons. After a short break, he was enrolled in the studio of Louis Van Lint at the Saint-Luc Institute in Brussels. After graduation from 1967, he taught for 10 years at the Graphic Communications Institute, and then took up a teaching post at the Saint-Luc Institute in Brussels, where he worked until December 1998.

Moussin Irjan. Contemporary painting

Musin Irzhan, modern painter, was born in Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan, in 1977. From 1992 to 1995 he studied at the art school in Alma-Ata. Then he entered and successfully graduated in 1999 from the Ilya Repin Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. After that, for several years he studied modern painting at the Art School "RHoK" in Brussels and at the Academy of Arts in Antwerp.
Since 2002, he has repeatedly exhibited and participated in various competitions, in which he repeatedly won prizes and received awards. His paintings are in private collections in England, France, Holland, USA, Colombia, Belgium and Russia. He currently lives and works in Antwerp, Belgium.

Pol Ledent. Self-taught contemporary artist. Landscapes and flowers

The main theme of this artist's paintings is wildlife, landscapes and the seasons, but Paul devoted a lot of work to the strength, energy and beauty of the human body.

Pol Ledent. Self-taught contemporary artist. People

Paul Legent was born in 1952 in Belgium. But he did not come to painting immediately, only in 1989. He started with watercolors, but quickly realized that this was not what he needed, oil painting would be more in line with his way of thinking.
The main theme of Paul's paintings is wildlife, landscapes and the seasons, but he devoted a lot of work to the strength, energy and beauty of the human body.

Owls belt Belgian artist. Christiane vleugels

Stephane Heurion. Watercolor drawings

Paul Ledent was born in 1952 in Belgium. He did not immediately decide to take up painting, but only after several years of working as an engineer, in 1989. Paul started with watercolors, but quickly felt that oil painting would be more in line with his way of thinking.

Cedric Leonard Young designer from Belgium. Was born in 1985. He graduated from St. Luc School of the Arts with a BA in Fine Arts. Soon after, he started working for a small company as a webmaster. He is currently working as a freelance designer. Cedric seeks originality in everything he does and believes in the appeal of modern visual effects.

Jan van Eyck is a key figure in the Northern Renaissance, its founder.

Van Eyck was considered the inventor of oil paints, although in fact he only improved them. However, thanks to him, the oil received universal recognition.

For 16 years, the artist was the court painter of the Duke of Burgundy Philip the Good, the lord and the vassal were also linked by a strong friendship, the duke took an active part in the fate of the artist, and van Eyck became an intermediary in the marriage of the master.

Jan van Eyck was a real "personality of the Renaissance": he knew geometry well, had a certain knowledge of chemistry, was fond of alchemy, was interested in botany, and also very successfully carried out diplomatic assignments.

Where can I buy: De Jonckheere Gallery, Oscar De Vos Gallery, Jos Jamar Gallery, Harold t'Kint de Roodenbeke Gallery, Francis Maere Gallery, Pierre Mahaux Gallery, Guy Pieters Gallery

Rene Magritte (1898, Lessine— 1967, Brussels)

The big joker and trickster Rene Magritte once said: "Look, I am drawing a pipe, but this is not a pipe." Using an absurd combination of ordinary objects, the artist fills his paintings with metaphors and hidden meanings that make one think about the deceitfulness of the visible, the mystery of the ordinary.

However, Magritte has always been aloof from other surrealists, but rather ranked himself as magical realists, in particular because, surprisingly, he did not recognize the role of psychoanalysis.

The artist's mother committed suicide by jumping off the bridge when he was 13 years old, some researchers believe that the "signature" image of a mysterious man in a coat and bowler hat was born under the impression of this tragic event.

Where to look:

In 2009, the Royal Museums of Fine Arts in Brussels allocated the artist's collection to a separate museum dedicated to his work.

Where can I buy: De Jonckheere Gallery, Jos Jamar Gallery, Harold t'Kint de Roodenbeke Gallery, Pierre Mahaux Gallery, Guy Pieters Gallery

Paul Delvaux (1897, Ante - 1994, Vernet, West Flanders)

Delvaux was one of the most successful Surrealist painters, despite never being officially part of the movement.

In the sadly mysterious world of Delvaux, the woman always takes center stage. A special deep silence surrounds women in the paintings, as if they are waiting for men who will awaken them.

The classic plot in the image of Delvaux is a female figure against the background of an urban or rural landscape, given in perspective, surrounded by mysterious elements.

The writer and poet André Breton even once remarked that the artist makes "our world the Kingdom of the Woman - Lady of Hearts."

Delvaux studied architecture at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels, but then moved on to painting. However, architecture always takes an active part in his paintings.

Where can I buy: Jos Jamar Gallery, Harold t'Kint de Roodenbeke Gallery, Lancz Gallery, Guy Pieters Gallery

Wim Delvoye (genus. 1965)

The cutting-edge, often provocative and ironic work of Wim Delvoye demonstrates ordinary objects in a context that is new to them. The artist combines modern and classical subjects into subtle references and parallels.

Among the most famous works of the artist are "Cloaca" (2009-2010) - a machine that mimics the action of the human digestive system, and "Art Farm" near Beijing, where Delvoye creates tattoo paintings on the backs of pigs.

The most popular was his series of pseudo-Gothic sculptures, in which openwork carvings are combined with modern subjects. One of these ("Cement Truck") stands near the Brussels theater KVS.

Where to look:

At the Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Brussels, M HKA (Antwerp), in January at the Maison Particuliere, Wim Delvoye will be a guest artist at the Taboo collective exhibition. Also, the sculpture "Concrete Mixer" is installed opposite the KVS Theater (Royal Flemish Theater) in the square between Hooikaai / Quai au Foin and Arduinkaai / Quai aux pierres de taille streets.

Most of his works are constantly traveling around the world, exhibiting at the best art venues.

Where can I buy:

Jan Fabre (born 1958, Antwerp)

Extensively gifted Jan Fabre is known for his provocative performances, he is also a writer, philosopher, sculptor, photographer and video artist and is considered one of the most radical contemporary choreographers.

The artist is the grandson of a tireless explorer of butterflies, insects and spiders

Jean-Henri Fabre. Perhaps that is why the world of insects is one of the key themes of his work, along with the human body and war.

In 2002, Fabre, commissioned by Queen Paola of Belgium, designed the ceiling of the Mirror Hall of the Royal Palace in Brussels (by the way, for the first time since Auguste Rodin) with millions of beetle wings. The composition is called Heaven of Delight (2002).

However, behind the iridescent surface, the artist reminds the royal family of the terrible shame - the huge human sacrifices among the local population of the Congo during the colonization of King Leopold II for the sake of mining diamonds and gold.

According to the artist, the conservative Belgian society, to put it mildly, did not like it: “The common man is often annoyed by the idea that the Royal Palace is decorated by an artist who openly calls not to vote for the rightists”.

Where to look:

In addition to the Royal Palace, Jan Fabre's works can be seen in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Brussels, where, among others, his installation "Blue Look" is installed, the Museum of Contemporary Art Ghent (SMAK.), M HKA (Antwerp), Belfius Art Collection (Brussels), Museum Ixelles (Brussels), as well as curatorial temporary exhibitions at Maison Particuliere, Villa Empain, Vanhaerents Art Collection, etc.

Where can I buy: Jos Jamar Gallery, Guy Pieters Gallery

Who is at the helm of the Belgian art market? Jan Fabre, Luc Tuymans and Francis Alus

In 2011, Belgium ranked only sixth in the European art market with a modest share of 1.11%, leaving behind not only Great Britain, France and Germany, but also Sweden and Italy. However, the low position of the Belgian art market by no means reflects the success that Belgian artists have achieved at the international level. Four Belgians made it to the Top 30 of Contemporary European Authors in 2011, making Belgium the third most represented country in this ranking after the UK and Germany.

Top 10 auction results of contemporary Belgian artists in 2011

In 2011, among Belgian artists, Luc Tuymans was not only the best-selling, but also the most generous. In fact, two of his top three results for the year came from charity auctions. His work "Deal - No deal" was offered to buyers on September 22 at Christie's "Artists for Haiti" New York auction (proceeds went to help victims of the 2010 earthquake). 956,500 dollars, significantly more expensive than the estimate of 600-800 thousand dollars. The work "Deal - No deal" was created by Tuymans in Bruges. The author says that he was inspired by a lonely man playing a slot machine in the corner of a night bar after midnight. 130) on the canvas of Tuymans, the player is in confusion and confusion.

LUKE TUYMANS Deal - No deal. 2011 Source: christies.com

LUKE TUYMANS Coast. 2011 Source: arcadja.com

A few weeks later, Takashi Murakami organized a charity auction for the victims of the earthquake in Japan, at which Tuymans' work "The Beach" (2011) was sold for 260 thousand dollars. In this oil painting, the artist reworked his earlier 2005 silkscreen Shore, based on a Polaroid photograph with the surf at night. In the new version, the wave running onto the shore and the night sky have acquired shades of gray and white. In this work, the author expressed his personal attitude to the tragedy of the country affected by the earthquake and tsunami.

Another work of Tuymans - "Easter" (2006) - in May was sold at Sotheby's New York auction for 800 thousand dollars. With these record-breaking results, Tuymans prices are almost back to their peak in 2005, when they were retrospective at the Tate Modern, and more recently in Brussels, the tour of the Tuymans traveling exhibition, which had previously visited Chicago, Columbus, Dallas and San Francisco.

VIM DELVO Caterpillar 5C Truck and Excavator Models. 2004 Source: m.sothebys.com

VIM DELVO Truck and excavator Caterpillar 5C models (fragment). 2004 Source: m.sothebys.com

Belgian artist Wim Delvoye ranks third with his 2004 Caterpillar 5C Truck and Excavator Models sold at Sotheby's London auction for $ 297,700 on October 13th. and the excavator became Delvaux's most expensive work sold at open auction. Laser cut gothic patterns from steel reminiscent of the artist's Flemish roots. Delvaux has long been considered the "bad boy" of Belgian modern art - it was he who tried to tattoo pigs and invented the apparatus for production Over the past year, in addition to the scandalous fame, the artist has come to commercial success: three of his works were sold for more than 150 thousand dollars - the same as in the previous four years.

Jan Fabre, like Delvaux, cannot be ranked among the angels, but his reputation as a provocateur did not prevent him from taking four lines in the ranking of the most successful Belgian authors. His best result in 2011 is in fifth place nationwide. The secondary market for Fabre's work has finally begun to match the level of international recognition that the artist has recently achieved (Jan Fabre, for example, was a guest artist at the Belgian pavilion at the Venice Biennale). The bronze statue "The Man Measuring the Clouds" (1998) at Christie's auction on October 15 reached a hammer price of 252.4 thousand dollars - the best for the artist in 2011. Fabre made 8 casts of this sculpture in total; one of them left in 2009 hammer for about 230 thousand dollars, and another one this year, on February 16, was sold for 267 thousand, which updated the artist's personal record last year and confirmed the rise in prices on the market for his works. In the current rating there are a couple of sculptures by Jan Fabre: The man who gives fire "(233.6 thousand dollars, Christie's, London) and" Anthropology of the planet "(197.9 thousand dollars, Sotheby's, Amsterdam). It is interesting that one of the most expensive works of Fabre in 2011 - The Battle in the Hour Blue ”(221.6 thousand dollars, Christie's, London) - drawing, while all the previous results of graphic works by Fabre did not exceed 28 thousand dollars. The work consists of three stag beetles, fixed in the center of a sheet of paper, completely painted over with a ballpoint pen. This is the oldest work of the rating - Fabre created it back in 1989.

From November 2004 to May 2008, 12 works by Francis Alys went under the hammer for more than 150 thousand dollars. From June 2008 to May 2011, only one of his work achieved results in excess of 80 thousand dollars. The crisis had a dramatic effect on the market for Alus' works: in the period 2008–2010, prices for his works fell by 37 percent. In 2011, the Tate Modern hosted one of the most comprehensive exhibitions of the Belgian - "The Story of Deception". Now the demand for Alus' works has grown again: in 2011, only 21 percent of his works were left without buyers, while in 2009 this figure was 40 percent. Therefore, it is not surprising that two of them made it into the current rating. Starting as an architect, Francis Alus explores the interaction of man and space in his works using a variety of techniques - from painting to performance. At the already mentioned charity auction "Artists for Haiti", Alus's large oil painting "Le juif errant" ("Eternal Jew") and several preparatory drawings for it went for 248 thousand dollars. The picture reflects the theme of migration from the point of view of mythology. Another excellent result was brought by the work "Untitled" ("Man / woman with a shoe on his head"): with a rather bold estimate, estimate 100-150 thousand dollars (if we take into account the last sale of this work in 2004 for 70 thousand dollars), the work was sold twice as much - for 200 thousand dollars.

So far, Belgian artists have not earned their best auction results at home. Nonetheless, Belgium is responsible for a quarter of all the lots sold by these four authors, which corresponds to 11 percent of the total proceeds from their work at auctions.

The material was prepared by Maria Onuchina,AI

Read also about Belgian artists:
Jan Fabre - artist and entomologist;
Third Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art. Luc Tuymans;
Top-10 Newsweek. Francis Alus: Art as a Commentary on Existence.

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