Leon Frédéric, Allegory of Night
Leon Fréderic, Allegory of Night, MSK Gent, 1891, oil on canvas, 70 cm x 54,5 cm, inv. 1914-AP
Belgian Symbolism is characterised by a special predilection for morbid and decadent themes. Death and dissipation were recurring motifs even around the middle of the century, and can be traced back to sculptors such as George Minne and that master of the absurd, James Ensor. Inspired by contemporary literature, the artists around 1900 were linked by a new mysticism with an extravagant and sumptuous style. In this context the femme fatale became a central figure as an expression of over-abundance and lust. Symbolism, however, did not just influence portraiture and figure painting, but was also reflected in landscape painting and eerie interior scenes.
The extensive special exhibition with over 180 works on loan from international collections introduces the entire spectrum of Belgian artistic positions previously little-known in Germany – like Fernand Khnopff, Léon Spilliaert, Félicien Rops, James Ensor and Jean Delville – as an important reference for Symbolism. Works by artists such as Max Klinger, Ed- ward Burne-Jones, Arnold Böcklin, Edvard Munch, Gustave Moreau and Gustav Klimt allow placement within the broader European context. The Groeningemuseum in Bruges, the Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent, the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp and Mu.ZEE in Ostend, amongst others, have lent their objects for the exhibition. The exhibition is supported by the Royal Museums of Art in Belgium, and made possible by the Freunde der Nationalgalerie.
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