Benelux - More Art

This beautiful polychrome and highly expressive statue 18th C statue represents Mary Magdalene in prayer, hands joined, eyes raised to the sky.It's of German origin

19th C Pair of Breton polychromed fruitwood statues depicting Fisherman and his wife .Origin France.

The cigar store Indian originated as a tradition, not in the United States but in Europe, where carved “Virginie men,” as Europeans called native Americans, were used for advertising...

Attentive observer, may I challenge you to find some unusual elements in this panel painting? One detail has to do with the symbolic use of color, the other with a later adjustment of the image. Indeed! The Blessed Virgin is not dressed in her usual sky blue cloak, which refers to her purity, but in a red robe. During the Late Middle Ages and early Renaissance, the Virgin often wore such a red garment to refer to the Passion of Christ. After all, the blessing Christ child with his orb would shed his blood for the redemption of mankind. The second strange element catches the eye when one looks closer at the little Jesus. It appears that he was originally depicted completely naked, but got on a transparent loincloth over time. In the past there were several times when nudity in art was subject to some form of censorship. For example, the supervision of Christian art was strongly encouraged by the Council of Trent (1545-1563). This assembly was dealing with the inner-ecclesiastical reform of the Roman Catholic Church. One of the important theologians who followed the council’s guidelines was Joannes Molanus (1533-1585). He did not consider the nakedness of the Christ Child to be edifying and pointed out that children could be endangered in this way. He may have been referring to the dangers of paedophilia. During the 19th century, puritanism emerged. A famous example of a moral preacher was Pope Pius IX...

Gustave FONTAINE ( Etterbeek 1877-1952 Brussels). Sculptor–painter. Took courses in Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, continued his training at the Academy of Brussels and with the sculptor Julien Dillens...

Preparation for Carnival: a three day festival of insatiable eating, drinking and carousing that preceded the forty days of Lent, a period of penitence when the pious drank only wate...

Gustave FONTAINE ( Etterbeek 1877-1952 Brussels). Sculptor–painter. Took courses in Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, continued his training at the Academy of Brussels and with the sculptor Julien Dillens...

Exceptional Zela Couple with shiny patina. The sculptures' cap-like hairstyles are typical for the Zela; as are the ritual scarification's on the front and back of their bodies. Apar...

Gustave Fontaine (Etterbeek 1877-1952 Brussels) was a sculptor–painter. He took courses in Saint-Josse-ten-Noode and continued his training at the Academy of Brussels and with the sculptor Julien...

Gustave Fontaine (Etterbeek 1877-1952 Brussels) was a sculptor–painter. He took courses in Saint-Josse-ten-Noode and continued his training at the Academy of Brussels and with the sc...

Gustave Fontaine (Etterbeek 1877-1952 Brussels) was a sculptor–painter. He took courses in Saint-Josse-ten-Noode and continued his training at the Aca...

This pottery vessel, embellished with high relief figures, was made by women of the ethnic group of the Bariba (or Baatonu) in the northern provinces of Benin. The Bariba potters pas...

The highly expressive wooden skeleton was carved and polychromed in the early 20th century in Burma, today's Myanmar. Unlike many sculptures from that region, his one is not directly...

Godefroid Devreese(19 August 1861 – 31 August 1941) was a Belgian sculptor. His work was part of the sculpture event in the art competition at the Olympics. He first studied with his...

An intriguing example of a fully articulated circus puppet marionette, in the form of a clown. This figure is fully articulated with iron strings support...

Standing Fang Mabea Maternity of Museum quality, holding a pestle with both her hands. The mother's head is slightly turned to the left, while the child, which she carries on her bac...

This pair of female torsos presumably decorated a fair stand or an organ in a theme park. They were most likely part of a significant organ intended to ente...

During the Counter-Reformation, the traditional cult of saints was encouraged, and spiritual exercises were recommended to come closer to God. In the pai...

Although the 18th century, the period of the Enlightenment in France, spawned thinkers who criticized the privileges of the clergy and the truthfulness of certain dogmas, the Roman Catholic faith was very much present in everyday life. Since king Louis XIV had issued the Edict of Fontainebleau in 1685, Protestantism was banned from the country. This Madonna with child illustrates the daily practice of faith. Like many 18th-century Madonna statues...