Echoes of Dreams, Symbolism in Brussels: A dreamy journey into the world of visionary artists at Maison Hannon

Showcasing a generation of emblematic Belgian and French artists, Echoes of Dreams. Symbolism in Brussels is an enchanting immersion in the mysterious world of this influential fin-de-siècle art movement.

The exhibition is staged in the Art Nouveau gem Maison Hannon in Saint-Gilles that features a stunning allegorical fresco by French Symbolist painter Paul Baudouin. It affords a rare opportunity for the 80 works on display to be shown in a private interior; the setting for which many of them were originally destined.

Presented in five themed rooms, the collection of paintings, drawings, sculpture, posters and objects evoke the major strands of the Symbolist art movement that emerged in the 1880s. The artists include iconic figures such as Victor Rousseau, Émile Gallé, Fernand Khnopff, Jean Delville, Jeanne de Tallenay, Charles van der Stappen, George Minne and Jef Lambeaux.

They were part of a diverse generation of radical artists in Europe who turned their backs on the perceived rigidity and decadence of Realism and Impressionism to explore new forms of expressing emotions and ideas. Their experimentation, inspired by late-19th century literature, veered to esoteric, spiritual and subjective experiences. In painting, this translated into broad strokes of unmodulated colour and flat, often abstract forms. 

For the Maison Hannon’s curator Grégory Van Aelbrouck, “the artists each have a vision in their search for an expression that reflected their age”. One specific aspect they shared was to imbue each work with meaning rather than it serving as decoration.

In the first room, the former dining room of the bourgeois home, visitors are introduced to the universe of the influential couple who created this temple to beauty, harmony and eternal love.

Edouard was an engineer and keen photographer who captured scenes of a society undergoing massive change. His wife Marie, originally from France, adored botany and literature, while other members of the Hannon family also moved in elevated scientific and artistic circles. Dedicated to modernity, this space provides a social and political context to the Symbolist movement, which was also marked by a rejection of the industrial revolution. Significantly, key pieces from private collections are on public display for the first time, including a small and intricate glass vase by Émile Gallé that is decorated with seahorses (pictured).

The exhibition moves to the light-filled upper floor via the centrepiece of the house, a golden spiral staircase resplendent with floral motifs. In a room themed ‘disenchantment’, artists are shown expressing their dismay at the rapid progression of society, with Realism, allegory and spirituality often fusing. Art also served as a radical act, fuelling discussions in intellectual salons and circles, as well as the Order of the Rose-Croix, a secret spiritual and cultural movement.

A third space explores human passions with artists inspired by the Middle Ages in their quest for a meaning to life. Joseph Middeleer’s painting La Démoniaque (pictured) is an arresting and enigmatic portrait. The creativity of these artists reflected a range of emotions from love and anger to resentment and solitude. The latter is evident in scenes of isolated figures with broad brushwork imbuing an ethereal ambiance. Sculptors such as Charles Van der Stappen were pioneers in the new aesthetic, inspired by Greek and Roman models while applying naturalistic detail as in his Sphinx figure.

The advance, often conflicted, towards self-knowledge is depicted in a collection situated in the home’s luminous former living room. They show the influence of other key threads of the movement, including the Rose-Croix figure Joséphin Péladan and the German composer Richard Wagner.

A highlight is a dual painting – originally a triptych – by Fernand Khnopff, a towering character within Belgian Symbolism. Acrasia (pictured above) and Britomart (pictured below) were inspired by Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queen and illustrate the powerful imagery applied to women, from the choice of clothing to their stance and the objects that adorned them. The striking works reveal a common dichotomy within the movement: beauty, voluptuousness and sensibility on the one hand; rigour and androgyny on the other.

The final space ‘In front of the stars’ with a sculpture by Rousseau at its centre contemplating the cosmos, concludes the movement’s inner journey to enlightenment. Jean Delville’s fluid and lyrical L’Ange des Splendeurs (pictured) embodies Symbolist allegorism with its male figure rising heavenwards accompanied by a female angel.

Symbolism proved to be a pioneering movement, highly reflective of its turbulent age, in which Belgium played a major role. It also had a major influence on the artwork of the 20th century, in particular expressionism and abstraction.

To enhance the visitor experience, the scenography offers a sensory experience with the addition of scent diffusers, a playlist and an audio guide.

Entrance tickets: €14 (adult); €5: (12-26 years).

Echoes of Dreams. Symbolism in Brussels
Until 19 April, Thursday to Sunday
Maison Hannon
Avenue de la Jonction 1
Saint-Gilles

Photos: Jean Delville L'Ange des Splendeurs ©J Geleyns; Emile Galle Vase aux hippocampes ©J Geleyns; Maison Hannon ©Gregory de Leuuw; Detail Leon Frederic La tempete 1891 ©Collection communale de Schaerbeek; Fernand Khnopff Acrasia ©J GeleynsFernand Khnopff Britomart ©J Geleyns