Page 87 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Belgium & Luxembourg

GREA TER BRUSSELS  85

He is best known for bronze
sculptures of factory workers,
such as the puddleurs (forge-
workers). These were largely
inspired by his visits to
industrial regions around Liège
(see pp220–23) and Charleroi
(see p191) in the 1870s and
1880s. The figures speak
eloquently of that era – bent
by their grim toil and hardships,
they nonetheless retain an air
of indom itable dignity.
This museum, a branch of
the Musées Royaux des Beaux-
Arts (see pp72–7), is located in
Wouters’s La Vierge Folle in the Meunier’s former home and
Musée d’Ixelles studio, built in 1899, where
Meunier lived and worked for
2 Musée d’Ixelles the last five years of his life. In The iconic Blacksmith sculpture on view at
addition to the sculptures for Meunier’s former home
Rue Jean van Volsem 71, Ixelles, 1050
BRU. Road Map B4. Tel (02) 5156422. which he is famous, the
@ 38, 54, 59, 60, 71, 95. q Porte de museum also has a good cross Buurens used their fortune to
Namur. v 81, 83. Open 9:30am– section of his paintings and invest in their pas sion for art, the
5pm Tue–Sun. 7 = documents, as well as house contains an out standing
∑ museedixelles.be informative exhibits that private collection of artwork.
demon strate some of his The art on display includes
The commune of Ixelles working techniques. a priceless ver sion of The Fall
possesses a remarkably rich of Icarus by Pieter Brueghel
art collection, presented in 4 Musée David et the Elder, as well as paintings
this small but highly reward ing and sculptures by Vincent
gallery. It contains intrig uing Alice van Buuren van Gogh, James Ensor and
but little-known work by Avenue Léo Errera 41, Uccle, 1180 Rik Wouters. Artists from the
painters such as Rembrandt, BRU. Road Map B4. Tel (02) 3434851. St-Martens-Latem School of Art
Fragonard and Picasso and @ 38, 60, 134. v 3, 7. Open 2–5:30pm (see p140), such as Constant
original posters by Toulouse- Wed–Mon. & = ∑ museum Permeke and Gustave van de
Lautrec. There is a good variety vanbuuren.com Woestyne, are also well
of work by the Belgian represented in the collection.
Symbolists Léon Frédéric and Set in the prosperous, leafy The van Buurens’s quest for
Léon Spilliaert. Other Belgian suburb of Uccle, this museum harmonious surroundings
artists such as Magritte and delights on two levels. First, it extended to the beautiful series
Rik Wouters are represented is a comfortable, relaxed villa, of gardens outside, which were
with such pieces as a copy originally built and furnished in carefully designed according to
of the latter’s exuberant the late 1920s in a user-friendly Art Deco princ iples of stylistic
bronze sculp ture La Vierge Art Deco style for the Dutch geometry by the noted land-
Folle (The Mad Virgin). The banker David van Buuren and scape architects, René Pechère
museum is also noted for his wife. Second, since the van and Jules Buyssens.
temporary exhibits.
3 Musée Constantin
Meunier
Rue de l’Abbaye 59, Ixelles, 1050 BRU.
Road Map B4. Tel (02) 6484449.
@ 38, 60. v 7, 93, 94. Open 10am–
noon & 12:45–5pm Tue–Fri. =
∑ fine-arts-museum.be
Brussels-born Constantin
Meunier (1831–1905) was an
artist of great distinction, a
realist who painted gritty
industrial scenes in keeping
with his socialist sympathies. Charmingly geometric Art Deco style at Musée David et Alice van Buuren

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