Jef Lambeaux or Josef Lambeaux (14 January 18525 June 1908) was a
Belgian
Belgian may refer to:
* Something of, or related to, Belgium
* Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent
* Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German
*Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...
sculptor. His best known work is ''
Temple of Human Passions'', a colossal
marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Marble is typically not foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the term ''marble'' refers to metamorphose ...
bas-relief
Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term '' relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...
.
Early life and education
Lambeaux was born in
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, ,
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...
, on 14 January 1852. He studied at the
Antwerp Academy of Fine Arts, and was a pupil of Jean Geefs.
He was part of a group of young artists, the "Van Beers clique", led by
Jan van Beers. This group included the artists
Piet Verhaert (1852–1908) and
Alexander Struys (1852–1941). They were well known for their mischievous and eccentric behaviour, including walking around Antwerp dressed in historic costumes.
Career
His first work, ''War'', was exhibited in 1871, and was followed by a long series of humorous groups, including ''Children Dancing, Say Good Morning, The Lucky Number'' and; ''An Accident'' (1875). He then went to
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...
, where he executed ''The Beggar and The Blini Pauper'' for the Belgian salons, and produced ''The Kiss'' (1881), generally regarded as his masterpiece.
Claire J. R. Colinet – who would have great success during her career in the
Art Deco
Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unit ...
era – was one of Lambeaux's students during his time in Paris.
After visiting
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
, where he was much impressed by the works of
Jean Boulogne, he showed a strong predilection for effects of force and motion.
Other notable works include his
Brabo fountain in Antwerp (1886), ''Robbing the Eagles Eyrie'' (1890), ''Drunkenness'' (1893), ''The Triumph of Woman'', ''The Bitten Faun'' (which created a great stir at the Exposition Universelle at
Liège
Liège ( , , ; wa, Lîdje ; nl, Luik ; german: Lüttich ) is a major city and municipality of Wallonia and the capital of the Belgian province of Liège.
The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east of Belgium, not far fro ...
in 1905), and ''
The Human Passions'', a colossal
marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Marble is typically not foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the term ''marble'' refers to metamorphose ...
bas-relief
Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term '' relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...
, elaborated from a sketch exhibited in 1889. Of his numerous busts may be mentioned those of
Hendrik Conscience, and of
Charles Buls
Charles Buls or Karel Buls (13 October 1837 – 13 July 1914) was a Belgian politician and mayor of the City of Brussels.
Early life
Charles François Gommaire Buls was born in Brussels as the son of a goldsmith from the region of Mechelen. ...
, the
burgomaster
Burgomaster (alternatively spelled burgermeister, literally "master of the town, master of the borough, master of the fortress, master of the citizens") is the English form of various terms in or derived from Germanic languages for the chie ...
of
Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
.
[''Nineteenth Century Decorative Arts.'' 1984. London: Sotheby's, p. 442.][Catley, Bryan. 2003. ''Art Deco and Other Figures.'' Woodbridge, UK: Antique Collectors Club Limited, p. 390.]
''Temple of Human Passions''
Lambeaux didn't escape the wrath of art critics when he showed a life-size model of ''Temple of Human Passions'' at the Salon Triennial in
Ghent
Ghent ( nl, Gent ; french: Gand ; traditional English: Gaunt) is a city and a municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the East Flanders province, and the third largest in the country, exceeded i ...
in 1889. The sculpture managed to attract such fury and uproar that in 1890 the journal ''L’Art Moderne'' described the work as follows:
Death
Lambeaux died on 5 June 1908 in
Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
.
Honours
* 1887: Knight in the
Order of Leopold.
Gallery
Image:Mariemont_Lambeaux_JPG1a.jpg, ''Le Triomphe de la Femme'' (1901)
Image:Temple of Human Passions.jpg, ''Temple of Human Passions'' (1898)
File:Jef Lambeaux JPG1c.jpg, ''Le Triomphe de la Femme'' (1901)
Image:Morlanwelz Mariemont JPG12.jpg, ''The Joy'' bas relief fragment of ''The Human Passions''
Image:Mariemont_Lambeaux_JPG2a.jpg, ''L'Abondance'' (1902)
File:0 Bruxelles - Petit Sablon - Blanchisseur.JPG, ''Le Blanchisseur'' ( en, launderer or bleacher)
File:Cathedral of our Lady 9 (Piotr Kuczynski).jpg, Cathedral of Our Lady, Antwerp
The Cathedral of Our Lady ( nl, Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Antwerp, Belgium. Today's see of the Diocese of Antwerp started in 1352 and, although the first stage of construction was ended in 1521, has never been ...
Image:Antwerp - by Craig Wyzik.jpg, ''Brabo'' (1886)
Jef Lambeaux Museum
In 2006 the association "ASBL Musée Jef Lambeaux" was set up to promote the creation of a museum dedicated to the artist in
Saint-Gilles, Belgium
(French, ) or ( Dutch, ) is one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the southern part of the region, it is bordered by the City of Brussels, Anderlecht, Forest and Ixelles. In common with all of Bru ...
. The museum was already promised by the municipality of Saint-Gilles in 1898 but never built.
Notes
Alain Jacobs, https://collections.heritage.brussels/fr/objects/42758
rchivettps://collections.heritage.brussels/fr/objects/42760
rchivehttps://collections.heritage.brussels/fr/objects/4275
rchive rchivettps://collections.heritage.brussels/fr/objects/42761
rchive
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lambeaux, Jef
Belgian sculptors
1852 births
1908 deaths
Artists from Antwerp
Royal Academy of Fine Arts (Antwerp) alumni