L'Essor (, French) was an association of visual artists in Brussels, active from 1876 to 1891. Its original aim was to rebel against the conservative tendencies of the art institutions and circles in Brussels.

History

L'Essor came into existence under the name "Cercle des Elèves et Anciens Elèves des Académies des Beaux-Arts de Bruxelles" ("Circle of alumni and students of the Academies of Fine Arts in Brussels") in 1876. Only in November 1879 was the association's name changed to 'L'Essor', a French word meaning 'rising' or 'booming'. The name thus ceased its reference to the academic institutions in Brussels. Its motto was "a unique art, one life", indicating its focus on the unity between Art and Life. The founders were seen as progressives who wished to rebel against bourgeois and conservative literary and artistic circles of Brussels. In reality l'Essor had no real program and would eventually encompass artists from the avant-garde and the more conservative circles.

Members of L'Essor

Louis Cambier, Léon Herbo, Henri Permeke (father of

Constant Permeke Constant Permeke (; 31 July 1886 – 4 January 1952) was a Belgian painter and sculptor who is considered the leading figure of Flemish Expressionism. Biography Permeke was born in Antwerp but when he was six years old the family moved to Ost ...

), Louis Pion and Franz Seghers, are among the founders of L'Essor. When changing the name to l'Essor, Emile Hoeterickx, Julien Dillens, Amédée Lynen and Auguste-Ernest Sembach joined the group. Gradually, other artists joined l'Essor including

Fernand Khnopff Fernand Edmond Jean Marie Khnopff (12 September 1858 – 12 November 1921) was a Belgian symbolist painter. Life Youth and training Fernand Khnopff was born to a wealthy family that was part of the high bourgeoisie for generations. Khnopf ...

(a first time participant in a l'Essor exhibition in 1881), Frantz Charlet,

James Ensor James Sidney Edouard, Baron Ensor (13 April 1860 – 19 November 1949) was a Belgian painter and printmaker, an important influence on expressionism and surrealism who lived in Ostend for most of his life. He was associated with the artistic ...

Darío de Regoyos Darío de Regoyos y Valdés (November 1, 1857 – October 29, 1913) was a Spanish people, Spanish painter. He was notable for contributing to "the renewal of modern Spanish painting". A student of Carlos de Haes at the Real Academia de Bellas Ar ...

Albert Baertsoen Albert Baertsoen (9 January 1866 – 9 June 1922) was a Belgian painter, pastels, pastellist and graphic artist. His subjects were mainly landscapes and especially townscapes, many depicting his hometown Ghent and - during World War I - London. ...

, Frans Van Leemputten, John Mayne,

Théo van Rysselberghe Théophile "Théo" van Rysselberghe (23 November 1862 – 13 December 1926) was a Belgian Neo-impressionism, neo-impressionist Painting, painter, who played a pivotal role in the European art scene at the turn of the twentieth century. Bi ...

, Willy Schlobach,

Guillaume Vogels Guillaume Vogels (9 June 1836, in Brussels – 9 January 1896, in Ixelles) was a Belgian Impressionist painter. Life He was the son of a laborer. After his primary education, he was apprenticed to the Bellis Brothers, a house painting an ...

, Léon Frédéric, François-Joseph Halkett, Peter George, Adolphe Hamesse, Alexandre Hannotiau,

Léon Houyoux Leon, Léon (French) or León (Spanish) may refer to: Places Europe * León, Spain, capital city of the Province of León * Province of León, Spain * Kingdom of León, an independent state in the Iberian Peninsula from 910 to 1230 and again fro ...

Antoine Lacroix Antoine François Alfred Lacroix (4 February 186312 March 1948), known as Alfred Lacroix, was a French mineralogist and geologist. He was born in Mâcon, Saône-et-Loire. Education Alfred Lacroix completed a D. s Sc. in Paris in 1889, as stud ...

, Charles Goethals,

Marie de Bièvre Marie de Bièvre (1865–1940) was a Belgian artist known for her still life painting. Biography Bièvre was born on 30 January 1865 in Saint-Josse-ten-Noode. She help establish several artists groups including the ' in 1883 (of which Alfred W ...

, Ernest de Bièvre,

Jan Toorop Johannes Theodorus "Jan" TooropJan Toorop
Netherlands Institute for Art History, 2014. Retrieved on 18 February 201 ...

and Agapit Stevens.J. (Jules) Dujardin, and Josef Middeler, ''L'art Flamand''
A. Boitte, Brussels, 1896 p. 32

Split and creation of the group Les XX and For Art

In 1883, a few artists left the movement after a disagreement in order to create a new artistic group

Les XX ''Les XX'' ( French; "''Les Vingt''"; ; ) 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, they held an annual exhibition of their a ...

. This dissatisfaction has come primarily from the fact that l'Essor had no real program and welcomed both realistic and traditional artists than avant-garde. l'Essor was officially dissolved in 1891. The association of artists Pour l'Art, also emerged in 1892.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Essor, L' Belgian artist groups and collectives 1876 establishments in Belgium 1891 disestablishments