Frans Pieter Lodewijk van Kuyck (9 June 1852,

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

- 31 May 1915, Antwerp) was a Belgian painter and graphic artist. He is also known for helping to establish Mother's Day in Belgium.

Life and career

He came from a family of artists. His father was the painter, Louis Van Kuyck. His grandfather was also a painter, and his son was the architect, Walter Van Kuyck (1876-1934). He studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts and his first well-known work was the official poster for the Exposition Universelle d'Anvers (1885). Later, as a teacher at the Academy, he became involved in the cultural and political life of Antwerp. In 1888, he became a provincieraadslid (county councilor) and, from 1891, served as an Alderman of Fine Arts on the Antwerp City Council. He also sat on the boards of several museums, including what is now the

Plantin-Moretus Museum The Plantin-Moretus Museum ( nl, Plantin-Moretusmuseum) is a printing museum in Antwerp, Belgium which focuses on the work of the 16th-century printers Christophe Plantin and Jan Moretus. It is located in their former residence and printing establ ...

, and was chairman of the "Koninklijk Kunstverbond Antwerpen" (Cercle Royal Artistique). During his time in office, the Vlaamse Opera Company was officially established and monuments were erected for

Peter Benoit Peter Benoit (17 August 18348 March 1901) was a Flemish composer of Belgian nationality. Biography Petrus Leonardus Leopoldus Benoit was born in Harelbeke, Flanders, Belgium in 1834. He was taught music at an early age by his father and the vil ...

Hendrik Conscience Henri (Hendrik) Conscience (3 December 1812 – 10 September 1883) was a Belgian author. He is considered the pioneer of Dutch-language literature in Flanders, writing at a time when Belgium was dominated by the French language among the upper cl ...

and Jan Van Rijswijck. On his initiative, the city acquired

Schoonselhof cemetery Schoonselhof Cemetery (''Antwerpen Schoonselhof'') is located in Hoboken, Antwerp, a suburb of Antwerp, Belgium. Schoonselhof Cemetery has an islamic and Jewish section. There is also a Commonwealth war graves plot containing the graves of ...

and created the Nachtegalen Park. He was also the driving force behind the purchase and restoration of the "Vleeshuis" (a Medieval

Guild Hall A guildhall, also known as a "guild hall" or "guild house", is a historical building originally used for tax collecting by municipalities or merchants in Great Britain and the Low Countries. These buildings commonly become town halls and in som ...

). In addition, he oversaw the beautification and expansion of the Leysstraat in 1898. In the Summer of 1913, he wrote a pamphlet, ''De Dag der moeders'' (Mother's Day) and formed the first committee to promote its establishment as an official holiday.

Illustrations & writings

Georges Eekhoud Georges Eekhoud (27 May 1854 – 29 May 1927) was a Belgian novelist of Flemish descent, but writing in French. Eekhoud was a regionalist best known for his ability to represent scenes from rural and urban daily life. He tended to portray the ...

, ''Kermesses. Illustré de dix compositions de Frans Van Kuyck'', H. Kistemaeckers (1884) * Rosalie and

Virginie Loveling Virginie (Marie) Loveling (17 May 1836 – 1 December 1923) was a Flanders, Flemish author of poetry, novels, essays and children's stories. She also wrote under the pseudonym W. E. C. Walter. Biography Virginie Loveling was born in Nevele i ...

, ''Gedichten'' (stories, with illustrations by Van Kuyck), Ghent (1889) *

Max Rooses Max Rooses (10 February 1839 – 15 July 1914) was a Belgian writer, literary critic, and curator of the Plantin-Moretus Museum at Antwerp. Rooses was born in Antwerp, and went to school there up to 1858, after which he attended the University of ...

, ''Oud-Antwerpen'', Watercolor paintings and drawings by F. Van Kuyck. Exhibition catalog, La Librairie Neerlandaise (1903). * Frans Van Kuyck and F. Jos Van den Branden, ''Hendrik Conscience 1812-1912'', J.-E. Buschmann (1912)

Selected works

File:Kuyck Knitting Girl.jpg, Kintting Girl File:VanKuyck-Children.jpg, Children in Front of the Cottage File:VanKuyck-Harvest.jpg, The Harvest File:VanKuyck-Scythe.jpg, Sharpening the Scythe

References

External links

Arcadja Auctions: More works by Van Kuyck

Drawings by Frans Van Kuyck {{DEFAULTSORT:Van Kuyck, Frans 1852 births 1915 deaths Artists from Antwerp 19th-century Belgian painters Belgian male painters 19th-century Belgian male artists 20th-century Belgian painters 20th-century Belgian male artists

Life and career

Illustrations & writings

Selected works

References

Further reading

External links