The Art of the 20th & 21st Centuries
ROYAL MUSEUMS OF FINE ARTS OF BELGIUM
[7]
Foreword [9]
Art after 1900 in the RMFAB [19]
Selected Works [73]
Attention-catching Legacies [139]
Art on Paper, Art of Paper [211]
Video Art at the RMFAB
[233]
The Friends and the Museums’ Collections [235]
Selected Bibliography [238]
Index of Artists
A country of painters and paintings,
Foreword
Belgium has produced over time major figures What do we mean by “modern” when referring
who have influenced the history of art, along
to art in a Museum founded by Bonaparte
with works which continue to bear witness to
in 1802? The very date points to the risk of
a stronger cultural identity than what many
being anachronistic, both backwards and for-
debaters seek to deny – from Pieter Bruegel
wards in time. Backwards with reference
the Elder to Marcel Broodthaers, via Pierre
to the 17th-century “Quarrel of the Ancients
Paul Rubens, Antoine Wiertz, Constantin
and the Moderns”, forwards by accepting
Meunier, James Ensor, Fernand Khnopff,
Baudelaire’s description of modernity as
Léon Spilliaert, Rik Wouters, Paul Delvaux
“the fugitive, transitory and contingent”. In
and of course René Magritte. Without forget-
both cases, the issue is one of beauty versus
ting contemporary artists whose works are
Beauty; the ephemeral versus the eternal,
proving increasingly difficult to acquire – and
played out with reference to a central text
all the more so as Belgium, a crossroads of
through which time is organized into a narra-
cultures and land of collectors, abounds in
tive. This text too, has its specific framework.
artists of ceaseless creativity. It is therefore
Erected in 1880, Alphonse Balat’s building –
with real pride that the RMFAB defend the
under its original name of Palais des Beaux-
work of Pierre Alechinsky, Jan Fabre, Luc
Arts – was intended to present temporary
Tuymans, Thierry De Cordier, Wim Delvoye
exhibitions and artistic salons before becom-
and, more recently, Rinus Van de Velde and
ing, seven years later, the permanent home of
David Claerbout. With insufficient resources and a mod-
the Museum of Ancient Art. Since then, this central narrative with its pretensions to uni-
est acquisition policy, the collection also
versality has shattered, threatening us with
succeeds in providing a panorama of interna-
a profusion of micro-narratives centred on
tional art. The first impetus given by Expo 58
the particularisms of communities that are
was followed by prestigious bequests and
increasingly closing in on themselves. More
donations in the years 1980–1990, making it
than ever, via its spatial unity, the Museum
possible to integrate other international fig-
seeks to remain a place which, in the diversity
ures into our already significant ensemble:
of its expressions, opens people’s eyes to the
from Anselm Kiefer to Christian Boltanski,
other and to a wider world.
and from Thomas Struth to David Altmejd. The RMFAB are home to more than
With its eyes turned to the past, the present and the future, a museum’s modernity
twenty thousand works, embracing the full
lies not just in its activities (exhibitions, visits,
diversity of contemporary media: oil painting,
partnerships) but also in its acquisition policy.
sculpture, drawing, and on to photography,
A museum that does not expand its collections
installation and video. This book, a counter-
is doomed to die. The ambition of bringing to-
part to the volume devoted to the jewels of our
gether works that express the Zeitgeist and
collection of ancient art, offers a significant
will mark the history of art is not new. Devel-
overview of our collections of 20th- and 21st-
oped in the 1920s as a collection of “living”
century art, with more than a hundred works.
art under the aegis of its curator Hippolyte
At the same time, it inaugurates a new series
Fierens-Gevaert, the collection of modern
of books presenting our cultural riches. Mus-
and contemporary art was initially intended
eums contribute more than ever to building the
to reflect the main artistic movements and
society of tomorrow, plural, curious and toler-
developments born in the 20th century. At
ant, a society that mirrors our collection (and
first, the focus was on the works of Belgian
vice versa), at once modern and contemporary.
artists, before expanding, mainly after the war and under the leadership of Philippe Roberts-
Michel Draguet
Jones, to the great international artists.
Director-General
7
The exhibition rooms of the Museum of Modern Art, built by Roger Bastin. Photo from the early 1990s.
Art after 1900 in the RMFAB HISTORY OF THE COLLECTIONS
Modern painting & sculpture The collection of modern painting and sculp-
devised acquisition policy. In the mid-1960s
ture from the period 1900–1968 is at least as
the expansion of the collection took off with
rich and diverse as was artistic life itself in
acquisitions of works by internationally re-
Belgium during the same period. It reflects
nowned names such as Max Ernst, Salvador
the great liberating adventure of modern art
Dalí, Henry Moore, Josef Albers, Francis
in our country and beyond, but not without
Bacon and Otto Dix, pure in style and aes-
leaving room for conservative tendencies. It
thetically pleasing, but with no direct anchor-
includes work by world-famous artists like
ing in the local art scene. In this way, the Royal
René Magritte, Francis Bacon and Alexander
Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium demon-
Calder, and also by local and forgotten figures
strated an explicit ambition to develop an
such as Micheline Boyadjian, Paul Maas and
international collection at the highest level
Antoni Zydrón.
and acted accordingly.
A look at the history of the collection shows that, since the 1920s, under the impetus of chief curator Hippolyte FierensGevaert, it was expanded as a collection of “living” art, in the wake of contemporary artistic developments (fig. 1). Artists such as Oscar Jespers and later Paul Delvaux advised the administration on purchasing policy. After 1945 and later under the influence of the 1958 World Fair, policy-makers became increasingly aware of the collections’ history-recording and international aspects. Chief curator Paul Fierens strived retrospectively to raise the collection to the European
[Fig. 1] The room Fierens-Gevaert devoted to modern art in 1927.
and international level by means of a carefully
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The opening in 1984, under the impetus
In 1990 she bequeathed to the Museums the
of chief curator Philippe Roberts-Jones, of
entire collection that her husband Bénédict
the long-awaited Museum of Modern Art,
had put together, especially after the Second
designed by architect Roger Bastin, marked
World War, with works by Belgian artists
a milestone in the history of the collection,
such as Gaston Bertrand, Pol Bury, Eugène
stimulating interest from both the general
Dodeigne (fig. 2), Vic Gentils, Pol Mara and
public and collectors. It is no coincidence that
Roel d’Haese, and also foreign names like
the collection was enriched by two spectacu-
Georges Braque, Marc Chagall, Giorgio
lar legacies in the years that followed. In 1996
de Chirico, Joan Miró, Asger Jorn and Claes
Irène Scutenaire-Hamoir donated an impres-
Oldenburg. These two bequests placed the
sive collection of Surrealist art, consisting of
collection once and for all on the interna-
254 paintings, sculptures, objects and works
tional map.
on paper, 101 of them signed by or attributed
Partly under the influence of the chang-
to René Magritte. No less impressive was
ing economic climate, it would be further
the generosity of Alla Goldschmidt-Safieva.
developed punctually over the following decades on the basis of advancing scientific research. In this way, the collection today presents a unique panorama of the history of modern art in Belgium, rich in its diversity and with as much attention to its specificity as to the context in which it was created. This important sub-collection of the Museums now contains 1123 paintings and 300 sculptures from the period 1900 to 1968. Since the restructuring of the collections in 2018, the periods into which they are divided have been defined on the basis of a cultural-historical, stylistic and art-theoretical reference framework of modernism, with the development towards abstraction and conceptual art as the guiding principle. Around 1968 – a pivotal moment par excellence in the cultural history of the 20th century – this evolution was overtaken by a new and different type of contemporary art focused on processes, systems and the relationship between subject and artwork. At that time modern art became history. A comment should be made with respect to the starting year 1900. The tipping moments that determine the appearance of 20th-century art do not exactly coincide with the turn of the century. Since the last decades of the 19th century, a shift had been taking place in terms of the autonomy of visual means (colour, line, surface), while it is only shortly after the turn of the century
[Fig. 2] Eugène Dodeigne (Rouvreux [BEL] 1923 – Bondues [FRA] 2015), Woman, [1952], wood, 145 × 22 × 23 cm. Bequest of Alla Goldschmidt-Safieva, inv. 11238.
that we see a new, free use of extra-artistic materials (textures, collage, assemblage, ready-made) emerge.
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Its own profile In fact, the Belgian art scene in the first years of the 20th century still took its lead from Paris, moving more than ever on the demarcation line between tradition and avant-garde. Like no other, the oeuvre of painter and sculptor Rik Wouters testifies to the restless, seeking attitude of a young generation on the threshold of the new era. It is only during and shortly after the First World War that an unbridled artistic dynamic developed here in Belgium too, a dynamic that changed the face of contemporary art throughout Europe and beyond in record time. The major lines of force and fault lines along which this evolution takes place are uniquely reflected in this collection. At the same time, the collection provides an overview of the different ways in which Belgian artists have interpreted innovative tendencies and assimilated them individually. We recognize, for example, the enthusiasm of Jules Schmalzigaug, who as
[Fig. 3] Gustave De Smet (Ghent [BEL] 1877 – Deurle [BEL] 1943), Beatrice, [1923], oil on canvas, 140 × 100 cm. Gift of the FierensGevaert Committee, 1927, inv. 4678.
early as 1912 fell under the spell of the dynamic urban rhythms of Italian Futurism and developed his own tempered visual language. A comparable case is E.L.T. Mesens, who discovered Dada in Zurich, in an encounter with
art dealers, gallery owners and collectors or
subversion that was not without consequences
were of great significance to critics and publi-
for the development of Surrealism. Based
cists. The same applies to a lesser extent to
on their experience with French Purism and
works belonging to Zuivere Beelding (Pure
German Expressionism during their exiles,
Imaging), the movement that was the first
Gustave De Smet (fig. 3) and Frits Van den
to propagate abstraction during the Roaring
Berghe also successfully developed their own
Twenties, with Victor Servranckx as their
idioms, with their unique melding of interna-
mouthpiece. At that time, Georges Vantonger-
tional and regional aspects.
loo in the Netherlands had already embarked
If Expressionism and in particular Sur-
on De Stijl. All these ensembles encompass
realism are today considered the richest
the ground-breaking work of the pioneers as
ensembles in this collection, it is due to the
well as later interpretations by their epigones.
fact that as an entity they bear witness to
As a result, the added value of these ensem-
the artistic, cultural and social network that
bles lies not only in the aesthetic qualities of
fostered the development of these art move-
each precious object itself, but also in their
ments. These ensembles are coherent and
documented inter-relationships.
multi-faceted and the works of art in them
In the course of the 1930s and also dur-
often share a parallel exhibition history or
ing the Second World War, the collections
have been the subject of contemporary publi-
were enriched with contemporary figurative
cations. They testify to the spiritual climate
work, pointing to a socio-cultural tendency to
in the inter-war period. At the same time,
return to an existing order. For example, the
they played identifiable roles in the world of
work of Louis Buisseret and Albert Van Dyck
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testifies to a new regard for classical art, and to interest in the old Italian masters and their 19th-century followers, albeit translated into the 20th century. The result is a fairly conventional art production, with numerous lesserknown names that enjoyed popularity at the time but have often fallen into obscurity today. If the collections contain today works of art whose museum value is not always convincing, this is not only due to changing taste judgements but also to the changed objectives of the purchase commissions. This particularity is rooted in the policy choices of the changing administrations who were at least as concerned to support local artists as they were with the excellence of their production. Inevitably with varying degrees of success. From 1948, a dynamic wing of the CoBrA
[Fig. 5] Jean Arp (Strasburg [FRA] 1886 – Locarno [ITA] 1966), Mirr, [1936], gilded bronze, 38.5 × 32 × 34 cm. Acquired from the artist during the exhibition 50 Years of Modern Art, 1958, inv. 6815.
group developed in Brussels under the impetus of the poet Christian Dotremont. Despite this, the painting and sculpture of the first post-WW2 European avant-garde art movement occupies a modest place in the collection. The ensembles of CoBrA and Post-CoBrA
Peinture belge. The work of young artists like
drawings, gouaches and other works on paper,
Antoine Mortier, Louis Van Lint and Jo Dela-
on the other hand, are rich and diversified,
haut may not fall under a single denominator,
with Pierre Alechinsky’s orientally-inspired
but the unbridled pursuit of free expression is
calligraphies as eye-catcher.
something these lyrical abstracts all share.
In the same post-war years, abstract
As part of the Expo 58 world exhibition
modernism also gradually seeped into the
in Brussels, one of the first post-war retro-
collection through the generation of the Jeune
spective exhibitions of the international avant-garde took place: 50 Years of Modern Art (fig. 4). In the context of this event, paintings by Karel Appel, Jean Dubuffet and Hans Hartung were acquired for the collection, along with at least equally interesting sculptures by Jean Arp (fig. 5), Germaine Richier and Ossip Zadkine. The future looked promising and solid choices were being made. Although a clear decision had already been made to give the collection an international face, it was not until 1967 that Pop Art and Nouveau Réalisme made their entry into the collection with work by Allen Jones, Arman and the Belgian Evelyne Axell. A stimulating role was played here by enthusiastic collec-
[Fig. 4] Gallery at the exhibition 50 Years of Modern Art, (Brussels’ World Fair, 1958). Artworks on display by Kenneth Armitage, Victor Vasarely and Serge Poliakoff were acquired by the RMFAB.
tors of contemporary art, which has also proven of vital importance for the further expansion of the collections. [FV]
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Art after 1968
collection (Raoul De Keyser [fig. 6], Walter Swennen, Léon Wuidar, Roman Opalka, On
While the collection was gradually opening up
Kawara, Marthe Wéry, Philippe Vandenberg,
to contemporary art, an international move-
etc.) using media, such as canvas or panel
ment was emerging that would pose new
painting, similar to those of the modern col-
challenges for museum institutions. If Pop
lection. In the years following the creation of the
Art and New Realism, each in its own way, questioned the nature of the work of art and
Museum of Modern Art, many events took
its relationship to society, Minimalism, Con-
place in Belgium that were conducive to the
ceptual Art, Land Art and Video Art placed
dissemination of contemporary art to a wide
question marks against every aspect of art.
audience: the exhibitions Place Saint-Lambert
The year 1968 saw the publication of Joseph
Investigations in Liège (1985) and Chambres
Kosuth’s Art after Philosophy, Lawrence
d’Amis in Ghent (1986), followed by the open-
Weiner’s Statements and Sol LeWitt’s Sen-
ing of the Museum of Contemporary Art in
tences on Conceptual Art, writings which
Antwerp (MuHKA) in 1987. In 1992, a Belgian,
developed a new theory of art, focusing in par-
Jan Hoet, was chosen to head Documenta IX
ticular on the dematerialization of art works.
in Kassel, an edition of this art event which drew much attention to itself. The following
Symbolically therefore, this particular year (which is also that of the death of Marcel
year, the RMFAB presented Art in Belgium
Duchamp) marks a breaking point, or rather
since 1980, bringing together nearly thirty art-
a starting point, even if a work like Joseph
ists, while on the other side of the Mont des
Kosuth’s One and Three Chairs – an installa-
Arts, in the former Magasins Old England,
tion composed of a chair, its photographic
three contemporary art exhibitions (Le Jardin
reproduction and the printing of its dictionary
de la Vierge, Toscani Al Muro, Les Fragments
definition – announced in 1965 the emergence
du Désir) succeeded one another between
of a new current, in which language takes
1993 and 1995. This period culminates with
precedence over form. In 1969, the exhibition
the opening of two new institutions dedi-
Live in Your Head: When Attitudes Become
cated to contemporary creativity, the SMAK
Form, organized by Harald Szeeman at the
in Ghent in 1999 and the Mac’s at the Grand-
Kunsthalle in Bern, opened the eyes of the
Hornu in 2002. It is at this moment that contemporary
general public to these new artistic trends.
art truly makes its entry into the RMFAB,
The division of the MRBAB modern art
with both Belgian and foreign artists. The
collection into two chronological entities, from 1914 to 1968, and then from 1968 to today, is therefore based on historical elements, but at the same time responds to conservation requirements. Technology-based works, designed with industrial materials, or again very large format installations, call for a special approach, requiring often complex logistics for their display or transportation. The issues related to their restoration are just as specific, given the wide variety of media involved. Even so, this is not a clear split: the contemporary art collection naturally extends the one dedicated to modern art, both chronologically – the pivotal date of 1968 not being
[Fig. 6] Raoul De Keyser (Astene [BEL] 1930–2012), N.O.B., 1987, oil on canvas, 190 × 251.5 cm. Acquired in 1989, inv. 10952.
a fixed point – and typologically, with many artists represented in the contemporary
13
national and international approach is still maintained, as evidenced by the entry into the collection in recent years of works by artists as varied as Thierry De Cordier, Georges Meurant (fig. 8), Chéri Samba (fig. 9), Roger Ballen, Gao Xingjian, Jeff Kowatch, Debbie Brown Napaltjarri, Mary Brown Napangardi and Tjawina Porter Nampitjinpa. Particular attention has been paid to works in situ, in line with those of Sol LeWitt and Lawrence Weiner, with the inclusion of works by Nicolas Party and Joseph Kosuth in the Magritte Museum. Finally, Angel Vergara, Agnès Guillaume and Emmanuel Van der Auwera have recently joined the RMFAB video art collection, initiated in 1991 with Nam June Paik. Let us conclude this by no means ex-
[Fig. 7] Sol LeWitt (Hartford [USA] 1928 – New York [USA] 2007), Wall Drawing no. 426, [1985], wash on wall, 385 × 618.5 cm. Acquired and realized in situ in 1986, inv. 10537.
haustive presentation by mentioning the special place occupied by Marcel Broodthaers, whose guardian spirit hovers over the collection. The RMFAB conserve a very important
early 1990s in particular were marked by
set of his works (nearly 70), to which we must
the acquiring of works very soon after their
also add numerous archival documents, by
creation, testifying to a desire to be as close
his own hand or concerning him. Its constitu-
as possible to actual artistic creation. This
tion dates back to the early 1980s and contin-
included items by Didier Vermeiren, Christian
ues today. As already mentioned, the year 1968
Boltanski, Marthe Wéry, Tony Cragg, Lili
is not a fixed cursor: Broodthaers’s Coat Rack
Dujourie, Wim Delvoye, Anselm Kiefer and
with Mussel Shells and the Red Cooking Pot
others. Sol LeWitt’s Wall Drawing no. 426
with Mussels (pp. 156–157) date from 1965 and
(1985; fig. 7) had been set up at the entrance of the Museum of Modern Art in 1986, pointing to an interest in conceptual and minimal art which would assert itself with the acquisition, a few years on, of works by Donald Judd, Dan Flavin, Joseph Kosuth, On Kawara, Carl Andre and, later, Lawrence Weiner. It was also at this time that monumental pieces by Richard Long and Giovanni Anselmo entered the collection. At the turn of the new millennium the Museum continued its acquisitions, but in a much less sustained fashion, largely owing to price inflation on the contemporary art market. The collection was nevertheless enriched with important works by Panamarenko, Jan Fabre and Luc Tuymans. Among the foreign artists, Daniel Buren and Niele Toroni brought
[Fig. 8] Georges Meurant (Etterbeek [BEL] 1948), untitled, [2019], oil on canvas, 120 × 120 × 4 cm. Acquired in 2020, inv. 12590.
a European echo to American conceptuals and minimalists. This balance between a
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highlights the fact that it encompasses a diversity of creations, the sole common denominator of which is their support or their main material: paper. In many museum institutions, this type of collection also adopts its own autonomy under the name of cabinet des estampes. The modern collection of works on paper of the RMFAB – according to our criteria, it brings together the works of artists born from 1748 onwards – was built late, in the context of the Royal Museum of Painting and Sculpture, the name of which was extended to include “Fine Arts” only in 1919. The desire to create
[Fig. 9] Chéri Samba (Kinto M’Vuila [COD] 1956), I am a rebel, 1999, acrylic on canvas, 81 × 100 cm. Acquired in 2020, inv. 12602.
a collection of modern drawings is also a child of the 20th century. Initially, acquisition efforts focused on “modern” artists from the 19th century, with the collecting of works from the
fully participate in the conceptual movement.
following centuries developing only from the
Let us also mention Untitled, Jan. 22, 1964
1960s onwards. A new impulse for the modern and con-
(pp. 152–153) by Dan Flavin, an emblematic work of the minimal current conceived in
temporary collections coincided in particular
1964. Conversely, certain works produced
with the restructuring of our institution in 1965,
and acquired in the 1970s or 1980s fit more
including the inauguration of a modern art
into the system of modern art than that of
department, with the collections subdivided
contemporary art, as we understand it today.
on the basis of materials and techniques.
This peculiarity, which could be summed up
Only then does the collection of modern
as the difference between a contemporary
drawings appear in the organization of the
collection and a collection of contemporary
Museums, even if at first, for practical rea-
art, induces a second cursor, just as mobile
sons, it was merged with the sculptures col-
as the first: when an artist formerly consid-
lection. However, the same is not true for the
ered as modern suddenly finds favour with
system of acquisitions, managed since 1933
the contemporary art world (and market).
by three separate commissions: ancient art,
Depending on where one positions these two
modern art and sculpture. Initially associated
cursors, the post-68 and/or contemporary art
with acquisitions of paintings, works on paper
collection (paintings, sculptures, installations
were largely left out of account in the defini-
and video art) contains between 300 and 350
tion of an acquisition policy. It was not until
works. A modest ensemble, but rich in many
1979 that they came under the purview of a
ways and one which, we hope, will continue
new commission, covering acquisitions in
to develop in the future. [PYD]
the fields of sculpture, drawings and modern posters, along with photography. This rather slow evolution is explained by the lack of
The collection of modern art works on paper
interest of both museums and the Belgian In terms of number of works, the collection
public in paper-based techniques, other than
that goes under the title “Works on Paper –
works of the big international names. The collection of works on paper did not
Modern Art” is the largest of the Royal Museums. At the same time, given the particularly
develop structurally until after the Second
fragile nature of the materials and techniques,
World War. It was helped by a very relative
it is also the least visible. Its current name
openness to foreign art, by the desire to
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collection between 1997 and 2000 (fig. 11), as did drawings by Jan Fabre (fig. 12), David Nash (fig. p. 143), Sol LeWitt, Mimmo Paladino, Christo & Jeanne-Claude (fig. p. 141), Mario Merz, Blinky Palermo, Joseph Kosuth, Douglas Huebler and Victor Brauner and an extensive collection of works by Marcel Broodthaers. From the 2000s onwards, efforts were made to include in our collections also the works of major contemporary photographers such as Thomas Struth, Thomas Ruff and Andreas Gursky, but photography would remain marginal compared to the other sections. Along with the purchases that our
[Fig. 10] David Hockney (Bradford [GBR] 1937), American Landscape Pie, 1965, oil pastel on paper, 35.5 × 42.8 cm. Bequest of Alla Goldschmidt-Safieva, inv. 11182.
Museum can make, significant bequests and donations have made it possible to expand the collection of drawings. Alongside the diversity and international character of the already mentioned Goldschmidt-Safieva bequest, let
strengthen the presence of certain groups
us also cite the Scutenaire-Hamoir bequest
such as the Surrealists, the Expressionists and
in 1996 (see pp. 74–75), that of Germaine
the CoBrA movement, and also by the vision
Kieckens in 1997 and the donation of works
of the new chief curator, Philippe Roberts-
by Jozef Peeters and some of his friends by
Jones, who was keen to integrate new sec-
Ronny and Jessy van de Velde in 1985. How-
tions into the Museums, such as photography
ever, it was mainly the artists themselves or
and graphic arts – two sections which, however, would never see the light of day. In this way works by Horst Antes, Pierre Alechinsky, Karel Appel, Jo Delahaut, Paul Delvaux, Eugène Dodeigne, Christian Dotremont, Paul Klee, Walter Leblanc, Jules Lismonde, Henri Michaux, Jozef Peeters, Victor Servranckx and also Frits Van den Berghe entered the collection. Others remain absent (this is the case of Frans Masereel) or entered only late, like Marcel Duchamp. In 1990, the Goldschmidt-Safieva bequest not only significantly enriched the collection of works on paper of Belgian and international names, but also breathed new life into the acquisition policy, which had lost much of its dynamism in the 1970s. Among the artists whose works on paper were added to our collections were Gaston Bertrand, Marc
[Fig. 11] Marcel Duchamp (Blainville [FRA] 1887 – Neuilly-sur-Seine [FRA] 1968), From or by Marcel Duchamp or Rrose Sélavy (Box in a Suitcase), [1958], cardboard box covered with fabrics, holding 68 objects, from a series of 30 copies, 9.0 × 37.7 × 40.0 cm. Acquired in 2000, inv. 12082.
Chagall, Roel d’Haese, Eugène Dodeigne, Hans Hartung, David Hockney (fig. 10), Paul Klee, Louis Van Lint, Pablo Picasso (fig. p. 44), Marc Tobey, Cy Twombly and Ossip Zadkine. Three works by Duchamp later entered the
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to merge and when the Royal Museums were gradually widening their scope and obtaining greater autonomy in their acquisition policy. Clearly distinct from the cabinets of drawings or prints encountered elsewhere, this is a Museum collection which brings together both independent works (framed and suitable for permanent exhibition), and preparatory or documentary works related to the other collections. It contains drawings in every kind of technique, along with collages, photographs, engravings and numerous posters, covering all eras and all artistic movements, from the turn of the 19th century to the present day. [IRS]
[Fig. 12] Jan Fabre (Antwerp [BEL] 1958), untitled, 1989, blue ballpoint pen, phyllium on prepared paper, 219.5 Ă— 151.5 cm. Acquired in 1991, inv. 11312.
their heirs who supported the collection of works on paper. Thanks to their generosity, the RMFAB own in this way the largest collection of works by Pierre Alechinsky, donated mainly between 1971 and 1980 (comparable to that of the Centre Pompidou in Paris), a reference collection of drawings by Gaston Bertrand (donated in 1980), Paul Delvaux (donations of 1976 and 1977), Rik Wouters (donation from the Province of Brabant in 1994 and the Delporte-Livrauw bequest in 1976) and also of Felix De Boeck (donated by the artist in 1971). Today, the content and definition of this collection still reflect these two corollary phenomena we have already mentioned. On the one hand, these works were acquired by a Museum which had originally focused exclusively on painting and sculpture. On the other hand, the collection was built up at a time when artistic disciplines were tending
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INDEX OF ARTISTS This index contains only the names of modern and contemporary artists, painters, sculptors, photographers, architects and groups of artists. Numbers in italics refer to illustrations; numbers in bold refer to the notices dedicated to a masterpiece in the museum.
Albers, Josef 9, 162–163 Alechinsky, Pierre 7, 12, 16, 17, 74, 124, 128, 139, 142, 142, 146–149 Altmejd, David 7, 228–229, 233 Andre, Carl 14, 164–165 Anselmo, Giovanni 14, 188–189 Antes, Horst 16 Appel, Karel 12, 16, 110, 128, 139, 146 Archipenko, Alexander 48 Arman 12, 130–131 Armitage, Kenneth 12 Arp, Jean 12, 12, 88, 119 Art abstrait 108, 134 Art abstrait–Formes 109 Art construit 109 Arte Povera 136, 184, 188, 191, 196 Axell, Evelyne 12 Bacon, Francis 9, 120–121 Baes, Rachel 74 Baj, Enrico 110 Balla, Giacomo 40 Ballen, Roger 14 Barry, Robert 168 Baselitz, Georg 198 Bastin, Roger 8, 9 Baugniet, Marcel-Louis 52 Bazaine, Jean 124 Becher, Bernd and Hilla 219 Bertrand, Gaston 10, 16, 17, 72, 74, 75, 104 Beuys, Joseph 172 Blaue Reiter (Der) 38 BMPT 174, 186 Boccioni, Umberto 40, 166 Boetti, Alighiero 184 Boltanski, Christian 7, 14, 200–201 Bonnet, Anne 104 Bourdelle, Antoine 32 Bourgeois, Victor 52, 90 Boyadjian, Micheline 9 Brancusi, Constantin 42, 92, 164 Braque, Georges 10, 42, 44–45, 66, 75, 78, 90 Brauner, Victor 16 Broodthaers, Marcel 7, 14, 16, 75, 139, 156–159, 172, 192, 203, 213, 233 Brown Napaltjarri, Debbie 14 Brown Napangardi, Mary 14 Brusselmans, Jean 92–93, 231 Buisseret, Louis 11 Buren, Daniel 14, 174, 178, 186–187 Bury, Pol 10, 74, 75, 108, 119, 134–135 Calder, Alexander 9, 118–119, 134 Campendonck, Heinrich 139 Cantré, Joseph 139
Cercle d’Art prospectif 211 César 160 Cézanne, Paul 20, 28, 30, 42, 102 Chagall, Marc 10, 16, 26–27, 75, 139 Charlier, Jacques 192–193, 211 Christo & Jeanne-Claude 17, 139, 141, 141 Claerbout, David 7, 216–217 Claus, Emile 28 Claus, Hugo 139 Coleman, James 213 Colinet, Paul 74 CoBrA 12, 16, 110, 124, 128, 134, 146 Corneille 110 Cragg, Tony 14
Ensor, James 7, 28, 75, 126, 146 Ernst, Max 9, 75, 76, 80–81, 100, 110, 120, 126 Espace 124 Evenepoel, Henri 75
Dada 11, 80, 130 Dalí, Salvador 9, 88, 100–101, 115 Darboven, Hanne 140, 168 De Boeck, Felix 17, 140 de Chirico, Giorgio 10, 36–37, 56, 75, 88, 126 De Cordier, Thierry 7, 14, 224–225 De Decker, Anny 172 De Keyser, Raoul 13, 13, 170–171, 220 Delahaut, Jo 12, 16, 108–109 Delaunay, Robert 26, 106, 119 Delaunay, Sonia 106 Delcol, Roland 74 Delvaux, Paul 7, 9, 16, 17, 96–99, 100, 140 Delvoye, Wim 7, 14, 204–205 Denis, Maurice 106 Derain, André 20, 90, 102 De Saedeleer, Valerius 34 De Smet, Gustave 11, 11, 58, 66–67, 140 De Smet, Léon 66 De Stijl 11, 48, 51, 52, 94 De Troyer, Prosper 46–47 De Vlaminck, Maurice 20–21 d’Haese, Roel 10, 16, 75, 160–161 Dibbets, Jan 168 Dine, Jim 156 Dix, Otto 9, 56–57 Dodeigne, Eugène 10, 10, 16, 75, 140 Donas, Marthe 48–49 Dotremont, Christian 12, 16, 110, 128–129, 140, 142, 146 Douglas, Stan 213 Dubuffet, Jean 12, 126 Duchamp, Marcel 13, 16, 16, 17, 42, 70, 119, 130, 168, 182 Dujourie, Lili 14, 206–207, 212
Gailliard, Jean-Jacques 52 Gauguin, Paul 102 Gentils, Vic 10, 75 Geys, Jef 215 Glass, Philip 109 Goldschmidt-Safieva, Alla and Bénédict 10, 16, 17, 26, 36, 38, 44, 72, 74, 74, 75, 76, 106, 110, 112, 123, 134, 154, 156 Gordon, Douglas 212, 213 Graverol, Jane 74 Gris, Juan 66 Grosz, George 56 Guillaume, Agnès 14, 214, 214 Gursky, Andreas 16, 219, 219
Eemans, Marc 74 Ehrenbourg, Ilya 26
Kandinsky, Vassily 38, 106 Kaprow, Allan 182
238
Fabre, Jan 7, 14, 16, 17, 140, 226–227, 233 Fabro, Luciano 184 Fautrier, Jean 126 Flavin, Dan 14, 15, 152–153 Flouquet, Pierre-Louis 52–53 Fontana, Lucio 18, 110, 133, 166–167 Frankenthaler, Helen 170 Freundlich, Otto 106
Hartung, Hans 9, 12, 16 Hayter, Stanley William 209 Held, Al 170 Helhesten 110 Hepworth, Barbara 116 Heyrman, Hugo 172 Hockney, David 16, 16, 140, 231 Höfer, Candida 219 Huebler, Douglas 16, 168 Itten, Johannes 162 Ives, Charles Edward 170 Jacob, Max 26 Jespers, Floris 46 Jespers, Oscar 9, 46, 90–91 Jeune Peinture belge 12, 104, 108, 124, 134 Jones, Allen 12, 154–155 Joostens, Paul 46, 144, 145 Jorn, Asger 10, 75, 110–111, 146 Judd, Donald 14, 194–195
Kawara, On 13, 14, 168, 178, 180–181 Kelly, Ellsworth 109, 170 Kiefer, Anselm 7, 14, 198–199 Klee, Paul 16, 38–39, 126, 142, 143 Klein, Yves 133, 166 Kokoschka, Oskar 22–23, 68 Kosuth, Joseph 13, 14, 17, 168–169, 203 Kounellis, Jannis 184–185 Kowatch, Jef 14 Lam, Wifredo 115, 150–151 Le Corbusier 110, 115, 216 Léger, Fernand 26, 42–43, 52, 62, 66, 110, 119 Leisgen, Barbara and Michael 142 Lennep, Jacques 211 Levi, Primo 200 LeWitt, Sol 13, 14, 14, 16, 140, 168, 174 Lhote, André 48 Lichtenstein, Roy 156 Lismonde, Jules 16, 142, 143 Lizène, Jacques 211 Lohaus, Bernd 172 Long, Richard 14, 196–197 Maas, Paul 9 Mack, Heinz 133, 133 Macke, August 38 Maes, Karel 52, 140 Magnelli, Alberto 124 Magritte, René 7, 9, 10, 73, 73, 74, 74, 82–87, 88, 98, 134, 140, 156, 168, 192, 233 Malevich, Kazimir 162, 209 Man Ray 76, 88 Manzoni, Piero 133, 166 Mara, Pol 10, 75 Marc, Franz 38 Mariën, Marcel 74, 145 Masereel, Frans 16 Masson, André 76, 78–79 Matisse, Henri 20, 90, 102–103 Mathieu, Georges 112–113 Matta Echaurren, Roberto 114–115 Mendelson, Marc 104, 142, 143 Merz, Mario 16 Mesens, E.L.T. 11, 74, 140, 144, 145 Meurant, Georges 14, 14 Michaux, Henri 16, 126–127 Minne, Joris 34 Miró, Joan 10, 75, 76–77, 110, 119 Moderne Kunst 46 Modigliani, Amedeo 26 Mondrian, Piet 52, 94, 119, 182, 209 Monier, Georges 52 Moore, Henry 9, 116–117, 140, 140 Moreau, Gustave 102 Mortier, Antoine 12, 104–105 Mosset, Olivier 174, 186 Munch, Edvard 120 Muybridge, Eadweard 120 Nakajima, Yoshio 172 Nash, David 16, 140, 142, 143 Neuen Wilden 198
Newman, Barnett 170 Nicholson, Ben 109, 116 Nolde, Emil 22, 68–69, 146, 231 Nyst, Jacques-Louis 211 Oldenburg, Claes 10, 75, 156 Opalka, Roman 13, 178–179 Op de Beeck, Hans 215, 215 Paik, Nam June 14, 210, 211, 211, 213, 214 Paladino, Mimmo 16 Palermo, Blinky 16, 140 Panamarenko 14, 138, 140, 172–173 Paolini, Giulio 184 Parmentier, Michel 174, 186 Party, Nicolas 14 Pascali, Pino 184 Peeters, Jozef 16, 17, 46, 52, 133, 140 Penck, A.R. 198 Penone, Giuseppe 140, 141 Permeke, Constant 58–61, 62, 104, 140 Pevsner, Anton 119 Picabia, Francis 70–71, 76 Picasso, Pablo 16, 42, 44, 66, 68, 75, 75, 76, 78, 90, 120, 124, 150, 164, 231 Piene, Otto 132–133 Pistoletto, Michelangelo 136–137 Poirier, Anne & Patrick 190–191 Poliakoff, Serge 12, 106–107 Pollock, Jackson 112 Pope, Nicholas 140 Porter Nampitjinpa, Tjawina 14 Prini, Emilio 184 Provost, Nicolas 213, 213 Raveel, Roger 170 Reich, Steve 109 Renoir, Pierre Auguste 28, 74, 231 Richier, Germaine 12 Richter, Gerhard 219 Rivera, Diego 115 Rodchenko, Aleksandr 164 Rodin, Auguste 164 Rothko, Mark 170, 231 Route libre, La 124 Ruff, Thomas 16, 219 Russolo, Luigi 40 Ryman, Robert 140 Samba, Chéri 14, 15 Sant’Elia, Antonio 216 Schirren, Ferdinand 46, 54–55 Schlichter, Rudolf 56 Schmalzigaug, Jules 11, 40–41, 140, 144, 145 Schoonhoven, Jan 133 Schwitters, Kurt 130 Section d’Or, La 48 Segal, George 156, 182–183 Servaes, Albert 34 Servais, Max 74 Servranckx, Victor 11, 16, 50–51, 52, 140, 141
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Simon, Armand 74 Spilliaert, Léon 7, 24–25, 75 Stella, Frank 109, 170 Struth, Thomas 7, 16, 218–219 Strzeminski, Wladyslaw 209 Swennen, Walter 13 Tanguy, Yves 88–89, 115, 134 Terragni, Giuseppe 216 Theys, Koen 213, 213 Ting, Walasse 146, 148 Tinguely, Jean 160 Tobey, Marc 16 Toroni, Niele 14, 174–175, 178, 186 Torres-Garcia, Joaquín 115 Tuymans, Luc 7, 14, 220–221 Twombly, Cy 16, 122–123, 140, 142 Uecker, Günther 133, 133 Van den Abeele, Albijn 34 Vandenberg, Philippe 13 Van den Berghe, Frits 11, 16, 58, 62–65, 66, 140 Vandenhove, Charles 174 Van der Auwera, Emmanuel 14, 214, 214 Vandercam, Serge 140, 145, 145 Van de Velde, Rinus 7, 140, 142, 230–231 Van de Woestyne, Gustave 34–35 Van Doesburg, Theo 52, 94 van Dooren, Edmond 140 Van Dyck, Albert 11 Van Eetvelde, Catharina 140, 222– 223 Van Gogh, Vincent 102 Van Kerckhoven, Anne-Mie 140 Van Lint, Louis 12, 16, 104, 124–125 Van Ostaijen, Paul 46, 90 Vantongerloo, Georges 11, 94–95 van Warmerdam, Marijke 214 Vasarely, Victor 12 Vedova, Emilio 166 Vercammen, Wout 172 Vercruysse, Jan 202–203 Vergara, Angel 14, 214, 232, 233 Vermeiren, Didier 14 Viallat, Claude 174 Viola, Bill 212 Vostel, Wolf 212 Weiner, Lawrence 13, 14, 168, 176–177 Wéry, Marthe 13, 14, 208–209 Willems, Robert 74 Wouters, Rik 7, 11, 17, 28–33, 46, 54 Wuidar, Léon 13 Xingjian, Gao 14 Zadkine, Ossip 12, 16, 90 Zero 133, 166 Zydrón, Antoni 9