Molse School
Encyclopedia
Molse School, translated as "School of Mol", is a common term for some international paint artists or a specific genre of paintings in late 19th and early 20th century. The paintings typically show picturesque and rustic places, farms, ... of the Belgian
municipality
Mol, which is located in the Campine
. The most famous painters of the Molse School were Jakob Smits
and Dirk Baksteen who lived in Achterbos, a hamlet of Mol.
Based upon the Barbizon school
the municipality Mol organized an international art exhibition
in 1907 and invited painters from all over the world. Most of these artists had not met before and their only connection was their stay in a local hotel
during the exhibition. These artists were not tied by a fine art society, neither was there a common style. In total 68 artists participated at this event, showing 212 works. This exhibition was also an attempt to show the artists the beauty of Mol, its heath
, the white sand flats and how the inhabitants (mostly farmers
) lived. This attempt succeeded.
Upon their return home, the artists showed their paintings to their colleagues. This resulted in those colleagues also coming over to Mol making painting en plein air
popular.
Some artists commonly categorized under the Molse School are Dirk Baksteen, Gerard Baksteen, Charles Claessens, Leon Delderenne, Paul Mathieu, Ernest Midy, Erneste Rinquet, Jakob Smits
, Willem Battaille, Emile Van Damme-Sylva, Paula Van Rompa-Zenke, Gaston De Biemme
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
Mol, which is located in the Campine
Campine
The Campine is a natural region situated chiefly in north-eastern Belgium and parts of the south-western Netherlands which once consisted mainly of extensive moors, tracts of sandy heath, and wetlands...
. The most famous painters of the Molse School were Jakob Smits
Jakob Smits
Jakob Smits or Jacob Smits was a Dutch-Flemish painter. He was born as son of a decorator. Jakob studied in Rotterdam at the academy and helped its father in the decoration business. From 1873 up to 1876 het studied at the Academy in Brussels, and afterwards also in Munich , Vienna and Rome...
and Dirk Baksteen who lived in Achterbos, a hamlet of Mol.
Based upon the Barbizon school
Barbizon school
The Barbizon school of painters were part of a movement towards realism in art, which arose in the context of the dominant Romantic Movement of the time. The Barbizon school was active roughly from 1830 through 1870...
the municipality Mol organized an international art exhibition
Exhibition
An exhibition, in the most general sense, is an organized presentation and display of a selection of items. In practice, exhibitions usually occur within museums, galleries and exhibition halls, and World's Fairs...
in 1907 and invited painters from all over the world. Most of these artists had not met before and their only connection was their stay in a local hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
during the exhibition. These artists were not tied by a fine art society, neither was there a common style. In total 68 artists participated at this event, showing 212 works. This exhibition was also an attempt to show the artists the beauty of Mol, its heath
Heath
-Habitats:* Heath or heathland, low-growing woody vegetation, mostly consisting of heathers and related species* Heaths in the British National Vegetation Classification system...
, the white sand flats and how the inhabitants (mostly farmers
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
) lived. This attempt succeeded.
Upon their return home, the artists showed their paintings to their colleagues. This resulted in those colleagues also coming over to Mol making painting en plein air
En plein air
En plein air is a French expression which means "in the open air", and is particularly used to describe the act of painting outdoors.Artists have long painted outdoors, but in the mid-19th century working in natural light became particularly important to the Barbizon school and Impressionism...
popular.
Some artists commonly categorized under the Molse School are Dirk Baksteen, Gerard Baksteen, Charles Claessens, Leon Delderenne, Paul Mathieu, Ernest Midy, Erneste Rinquet, Jakob Smits
Jakob Smits
Jakob Smits or Jacob Smits was a Dutch-Flemish painter. He was born as son of a decorator. Jakob studied in Rotterdam at the academy and helped its father in the decoration business. From 1873 up to 1876 het studied at the Academy in Brussels, and afterwards also in Munich , Vienna and Rome...
, Willem Battaille, Emile Van Damme-Sylva, Paula Van Rompa-Zenke, Gaston De Biemme