KMSKA LATE - Belgian artists in Spain in the 19th century

Undoubtedly influenced by the creation of their national identity, Belgian artists held a special place for Spain during the 19th century. This lecture explores this Belgian view of Spain, mainly through the works of François Bossuet, Nicaise de Keyser, and Constantin Meunier, with an emphasis on the pieces preserved in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Antwerp (KMSKA).

Laurent Stevens is an art historian, educated in Brussels and Madrid, as well as a collector. He is interested in 19th-century Belgium and, in particular, its ties to Spain. For ten years, he worked as a guide and lecturer at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, and for several years now he has been an independent researcher. He has worked for art collectors and dealers, and occasionally for institutions such as the Spanish Embassy in Brussels.

Although Verhaeren is best known as a Flemish poet from the Belgian Symbolist movement, attention has also been given to his interest in and connections with other European cultures, including Spain. Emile Verhaeren had a strong bond with Spain, mainly through his friendship with the Spanish artist Darío de Regoyos. In 1888, they travelled together through northern and central Spain, exploring the Basque Country, Aragon, Navarra, and Castile. This journey inspired Verhaeren’s work España negra, which was later illustrated by Regoyos.

The Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Antwerp (KMSKA) houses a large collection of Belgian art from the period in which Emile Verhaeren was active. Many painters of his time, such as James Ensor and Rik Wouters, maintained artistic connections with Verhaeren.

Dr. Rik Hemmerijckx is a historian and, since 2008, curator of the Emile Verhaeren Museum in Sint-Amands. He earned his PhD at the Vrije Universiteit Brussels (VUB) with a dissertation on the Walloon labour movement and has worked at the Auschwitz Foundation and the Archive of the Socialist Labour Movement. With his expertise in French language and culture, he highlights the life and work of the Flemish poet Emile Verhaeren in the museum.

• This activity is part of KMSKA LATE
• The activity takes place in the reading room of the library.
• For whom?
  For everyone with a Thursday evening ticket, as long as capacity allows.
• Price
  Free with a museum ticket. No reservation required — once full, it’s full!