BRUSSELS 73The Orange Market at Blidah (1898) by Henri Evenepoelfamiliar objects in unusual,
sometimes unsettling,
combin ations and contexts.
Many of the artist’s best-
known paint ings are shown
here in an impressively
comprehensive col lection
of 200 works. These cover
everything from large-scale
canvases to magazine covers,
advertising posters and
wallpaper designs, including
L’Empire des Lumières (1954)
and La Voleuse (1928). They
are also laid out chrono-
logically, so it’s possible to
see his remarkably rapid
development as an artist.
Of particular note are the
paintings that date from
Magritte’s Cavernous period
of 1927–30, including Le
Joueur Secret (1927) and the
Personnage Médiant sur la
Folie (1928). At this time,
while living in Paris,
Magritte painted roughly a
canvas a day. He then
moved back to Brussels,
where he lived for the rest
of his life. Powerful, arresting
paintings on display from this
latter period include the eerie
Domain of Arnheim (see p70)
and the melan cholic Saveur
des Larmes (1948).recent art. On display are
landscapes, featuring works
by Hippolyte Boulenger
(1837–74) and several charm-
ing examples of Luminism by
Emile Claus (1849–1924).
Next is an excellent collection
of Symbolist art, including
poetic and disturb ing classics
such as Des Caresses by
Fernand Khnopff (1858–
1921), which shows an
androgy nous fig ure nuzzling
a human head on a cheetah’s
body. Jean Delville (1867–
1953) is included via his
splendidly demonic Les
Trésors de Satan, as are Léon
Spilliaert (1881–1946), who
created moody images in
stylized black-and-white,
and the near Socialist-Realist
Léon Frédéric (1856–1940)
Many of the artists, such as
the gifted Pointillist Théo Van
Rysselberghe (1862–1926) and
Nice-born Henri Evenepoel
(1871–99), who brought his
distinctive post-Impressionist
style to The Orange Market in
Blidah (1898), deserve a close
inspection. There are charac-
teristically bizarre paintings
by proto-Expressionist James
Ensor (1860–1949) and a
collection by the St-Martens-
Latem School (see p136). The
famous Belgian Fauvist Rik
Wouters (1882–1916) is repre-
sented by The Flautist (1914)
and Woman in a Blue Dress
in Front of a Mirror, while
Paul Delvaux’s dream-world
is seen in Pygmalion (1939)
and Evening Train (1957).
Further on, there are abstract
and semi-abstract paintings of
Jeune Peinture Belge, the dis-
parate post-war movement.
The COBRA group, founded
in 1948, whose best-known
expo n ent is Pierre Alechinsky
(b.1927) is also included, as
are inter national artists such
as Salvador Dali and Barnett
Newman. The route ends on
a strong Belgian note with
icono clastic work by Marcel
Broodthaers (1924–76) and a
fanciful fly ing mach ine by
Panamarenko (b.1940).MUSÉE MAGRITTEThe works of the Belgian
Surrealist movement have
long proved a popular
high light of the Musées
Royaux des Beaux-Art’s
collection. The art of René
Magritte in particular has
created an extraordinary
public fascination since the
increase in his popularity in
the 1960s. To reflect public
demand, and to afford the
best possible dis play, his
work is now housed in
this separate section of
the museum.
Born the son of a wealthy
manufacturer in Lessines
(see p185), Magritte entered
the Brussels Academie des
Beaux-Arts in 1916. A former
poster and advertisement
designer, he created visually
strik ing work, frequently
displaying a juxtaposition ofDes Caresses (1896) by the symbolist artist, Fernand Khnopff.