Come and discover Félicien Rops, Constant Permeke, Floris Jespers, Paul Baum, Jan Verhas, Alfred Verwee, Emmanuel Viérin as well as 100 other artists from the remarkable 1880-1940 period. At this exhibition, which will be held in Knokke-Heist from 20 October 2012 until 13 January 2013, more than 250 paintings will give visitors a picture of the unique era of the growth and expansion of seaside resorts set against the backdrop of green and peaceful countryside.

Since 1880, Knokke-Heist has grown from its two original coastal villages and two Polder area villages into a first-rate, art-loving seaside resort offering high lifestyle content. From the start of the epoch of impressionism, painters have been drawn to the seaside because of its beauty and its peace, its immense stretches of dunes and the surrounding Polder pastures. For many, this East Coast landscape provided a whole new source of inspiration. They were particularly attracted by the special ‘light’ quality of the area.

Five years after the successful ‘Impressionists in Knocke & Heyst, 1870-1914’ exhibition, which attracted some 12,500 visitors over a period of 2 months, this time art lovers will be able to view more than 250 works of art by some 100 other ‘new’ artists. During the 1880-1940 period, they were the ones who set down their easels in ‘Knocke and Heyst’ and in the surrounding areas.
The paintings on display give us an accurate picture of the period from 1880 up to and including the interwar years. Besides impressionism, we also detect new artistic expressions, a change in style, a search for different modes of expression.

‘From Atelier to Seaside’ shows us a piece of local history of supra-local significance, depicted in paint and colour. The canvases by the great artists form the main attraction of this retrospective exhibition. They are not the whole package, however. Less known painters from the same generation are just as important in the art world in and around Knokke and Heist. These were dedicated and professional artists who practised their art with just as much love and passion and accomplished high-quality artistic work and they also rightfully deserve a place in this review exhibition.

The collection consists of work from Belgian artists, such as Louis Artan, Pierre Bayaux, Frans Binjé, Anna Boch, Door Boerewaard, René Clarot, Franz Courtens, Henri De Braekeleer, Willem Delsaux, René Depauw, Albert Devos, Lucien Frank, Jean Gouweloos, Gerard Hermans, Modeste Huys, Floris Jespers, Louis Ludwig, Marguerite Mommen-Ithier, Paul en Jean Parmentier, Constant Permeke, Félicien Rops, Jacques Rosseels, Henri Van der Hecht, Emile Van Doren, Ernest Van Panhuysen, Theo Van Rysselberghe, Médard Verburgh, Piet Verhaert, Jan Verhas, Isidore Verheyden, Alfred Verwee, Emmanuel Viérin and H.V. Wolvens, and the German artists Erich Wessel and Paul Baum, and Autrian-born Karl Mediz.

A Beautifully Illustrated Book
This exhibition is accompanied by an extensive book about the artists who spent time in the Knokke and Heist area. The content of the book consists of 12 in-depth articles about the main painters, a catalogue of all of the exhibited works of art, as well as the biographies of more than 300 artists who have ever painted along the Belgian East Coast. The work is beautifully illustrated with rare photographic material and documents, thus giving the reader a more detailed background picture. This is a production by ‘Stichting Kunstboek’ and is available both in Dutch and in French.

Practical Information
From Saturday 20 October 2012 up to and including Sunday 13 January 2013
Open every day: 10.00 – 19.00 hrs
Cultuurcentrum Scharpoord, Meerlaan 32, B-8300 Knokke-Heist

Entrance Fee
Adult: €5.00 | Discounts and groups: €3.00 | -12 free of charge

Tours upon request (NL/FR): +32 (0)50 530 730

+32 0(50) 530 730 – Dit E-mail adres wordt beschermd tegen spambots. U moet JavaScript geactiveerd hebben om het te kunnen zien.

Accessibility
Within 500 m of Knokke train station and end-of-line stop of the Knokke Coastal Tram

Tourism Knokke-Heist: +32 (0)50 630 380 – Dit E-mail adres wordt beschermd tegen spambots. U moet JavaScript geactiveerd hebben om het te kunnen zien. – www.knokke-heist.info

+32 (0)50 530 730 – Dit E-mail adres wordt beschermd tegen spambots. U moet JavaScript geactiveerd hebben om het te kunnen zien. - www.sincfala.be