Société Libre des Beaux-Arts
Encyclopedia
The Société Libre des Beaux-Arts ("Free Society of Fine Arts") was an organization formed in 1868 by Belgian artists to react against academicism
and to advance Realist
painting and artistic freedom. Based in Brussels
, the society was active until 1876, by which time the aesthetic values it espoused had infiltrated the official Salon. It played a formative role in establishing avant-gardism in Belgium.
The first exhibition of the Free Society was held in 1868 to provide an alternative art space beyond the Salon. Three exhibitions were held in 1872. The society's manifesto
was written by Camille Van Camp and published 31 January 1869. It promoted the "free and individual interpretation of nature" characteristic of Realist art, along with avant-garde concepts such as "struggle, change, freedom, progress, originality and tolerance."
The society published the periodicals L'Art Libre, a bi-monthly review (1871–72), and L'Art Universel (1873–76). In the first issue of L'Art Libre, they collectively asserted:
The goals of the Free Society were influenced by aesthetic ideals set forth by Gustave Courbet
and the Barbizon artists
and by the poet Charles Baudelaire
. "Modernity" and "sincerity" were keywords. Official cultural critics were at first openly hostile. Two early champions, however, were the critics Camille Lemonnier
, a member, who urged that they should "be of their own time," and Théo Hannon, who saw them as rebels against artificiality.
A group portrait by society member Edmond Lambrich shows the 16 artists of the original organizing committee. The society attracted in particular landscape painters working at the Atelier Saint-Luc of Brussels, also known as the Académie de Saint-Luc (ca. 1846–1864). Louis Dubois, Félicien Rops
, Constantin Meunier
and Louis Artan are considered leading members. Most of the society's members had also belonged to the Artistic and Literary Circle of Brussels and the Royal Belgian Society of Watercolorists. After the society dissolved, several members joined groups such as La Chrysalide and Les XX
.
The society expressed an internationalist desire by inviting Courbet, Corot
, Charles-François Daubigny
, Théodore Rousseau
and Jean-François Millet
to join as honorary members.
Academic art
Academic art is a style of painting and sculpture produced under the influence of European academies of art. Specifically, academic art is the art and artists influenced by the standards of the French Académie des Beaux-Arts, which practiced under the movements of Neoclassicism and Romanticism,...
and to advance Realist
Realism (arts)
Realism in the visual arts and literature refers to the general attempt to depict subjects "in accordance with secular, empirical rules", as they are considered to exist in third person objective reality, without embellishment or interpretation...
painting and artistic freedom. Based in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, the society was active until 1876, by which time the aesthetic values it espoused had infiltrated the official Salon. It played a formative role in establishing avant-gardism in Belgium.
The first exhibition of the Free Society was held in 1868 to provide an alternative art space beyond the Salon. Three exhibitions were held in 1872. The society's manifesto
Manifesto
A manifesto is a public declaration of principles and intentions, often political in nature. Manifestos relating to religious belief are generally referred to as creeds. Manifestos may also be life stance-related.-Etymology:...
was written by Camille Van Camp and published 31 January 1869. It promoted the "free and individual interpretation of nature" characteristic of Realist art, along with avant-garde concepts such as "struggle, change, freedom, progress, originality and tolerance."
The society published the periodicals L'Art Libre, a bi-monthly review (1871–72), and L'Art Universel (1873–76). In the first issue of L'Art Libre, they collectively asserted:
The goals of the Free Society were influenced by aesthetic ideals set forth by Gustave Courbet
Gustave Courbet
Jean Désiré Gustave Courbet was a French painter who led the Realist movement in 19th-century French painting. The Realist movement bridged the Romantic movement , with the Barbizon School and the Impressionists...
and the Barbizon artists
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...
and by the poet Charles Baudelaire
Charles Baudelaire
Charles Baudelaire was a French poet who produced notable work as an essayist, art critic, and pioneering translator of Edgar Allan Poe. His most famous work, Les Fleurs du mal expresses the changing nature of beauty in modern, industrializing Paris during the nineteenth century...
. "Modernity" and "sincerity" were keywords. Official cultural critics were at first openly hostile. Two early champions, however, were the critics Camille Lemonnier
Camille Lemonnier
Antoine Louis Camille Lemonnier was a Belgian writer, poet and journalist. He was a member of the Symbolist La Jeune Belgique group, but his best known works are realist. His first work was Salon de Bruxelles , a collection of art criticism...
, a member, who urged that they should "be of their own time," and Théo Hannon, who saw them as rebels against artificiality.
A group portrait by society member Edmond Lambrich shows the 16 artists of the original organizing committee. The society attracted in particular landscape painters working at the Atelier Saint-Luc of Brussels, also known as the Académie de Saint-Luc (ca. 1846–1864). Louis Dubois, Félicien Rops
Félicien Rops
Félicien Rops was a Belgian artist, and printmaker in etching and aquatint.-Early life:Rops was born in Namur as the only son to Nicholas Rops and Sophie Maubile. He was educated at the University of Brussels...
, Constantin Meunier
Constantin Meunier
Constantin Meunier , Belgian painter and sculptor, was born in Etterbeek, Brussels.His first exhibit was a plaster sketch, "The Garland," shown at the Brussels Salon in 1851. Soon afterwards, on the advice of the painter Charles de Groux, he abandoned the chisel for the brush...
and Louis Artan are considered leading members. Most of the society's members had also belonged to the Artistic and Literary Circle of Brussels and the Royal Belgian Society of Watercolorists. After the society dissolved, several members joined groups such as La Chrysalide and Les XX
Les XX
Les XX was a group of twenty Belgian painters, designers and sculptors, formed in 1883 by the Brussels lawyer, publisher, and entrepreneur Octave Maus. For ten years 'Les Vingt' , as they called themselves, held an annual exhibition of their art; each year twenty international artists were also...
.
List of original members
- Edouard AgneessensEdouard AgneessensEdouard Agneessens was a Belgian painter. He was a prolific artist whose works include Standing Male Nude , Ladies by a Piano and Bloemenstilleven...
- Louis Artan
- Alphonse Asselbergs
- Théodore Baron
- F. Boudin
- Antoine-Félix BouréAntoine-Félix BouréAntoine-Félix Bouré , known in his own time as Félix Bouré but sometimes found in modern scholarship as Antoine Bouré, was a Belgian sculptor, best known for his monumental lions.-Life and career:...
- Paul-Jan Clays
- Marie Collart-Henrotin
- Joseph Coosemans
- Charles Degroux
- Hippolyte de la CharlerieHippolyte de la CharlerieHippolyte De la Charlerie was a Belgian painter and illustrator.De la Charlerie was born in Mons. He studied art at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts and with Théodore Baron. He was a cofounder of the Atelier Saint-Luc at Brussels, but spent much of his time in Paris, where he established...
- Louis Dubois
- Adrien-Joseph Heymans
- Edouard Huberti
- Edmond Lambrichs
- Paul LautersPaul LautersPaul Lauters or Paul Lauteri , was a Belgian printmaker, illustrator and painter. Lauters studied under the sculptor Charles Malaise at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts from 1820 to 1823. From 1823 he worked for the Gouban & Dewasme-Pletinckx lithographic company at the same time as...
- Camille LemonnierCamille LemonnierAntoine Louis Camille Lemonnier was a Belgian writer, poet and journalist. He was a member of the Symbolist La Jeune Belgique group, but his best known works are realist. His first work was Salon de Bruxelles , a collection of art criticism...
- Constantin MeunierConstantin MeunierConstantin Meunier , Belgian painter and sculptor, was born in Etterbeek, Brussels.His first exhibit was a plaster sketch, "The Garland," shown at the Brussels Salon in 1851. Soon afterwards, on the advice of the painter Charles de Groux, he abandoned the chisel for the brush...
- Jean-Baptiste Meunier
- Jules Raeymaekers
- Félicien RopsFélicien RopsFélicien Rops was a Belgian artist, and printmaker in etching and aquatint.-Early life:Rops was born in Namur as the only son to Nicholas Rops and Sophie Maubile. He was educated at the University of Brussels...
- Eugène Smits
- Camille Van Camp
- Henri Van der Hecht
- Isidore Verheyden
- Alfred Verwée
The society expressed an internationalist desire by inviting Courbet, Corot
Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot
Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot was a French landscape painter and printmaker in etching. Corot was the leading painter of the Barbizon school of France in the mid-nineteenth century...
, Charles-François Daubigny
Charles-François Daubigny
Charles-François Daubigny was one of the painters of the Barbizon school, and is considered an important precursor of Impressionism....
, Théodore Rousseau
Théodore Rousseau
Pierre Étienne Théodore Rousseau , French painter of the Barbizon school, was born in Paris, of a bourgeois family.-Youth:At first he received a business training, but soon displayed aptitude for painting...
and Jean-François Millet
Jean-François Millet
Jean-François Millet was a French painter and one of the founders of the Barbizon school in rural France...
to join as honorary members.