Brussels 1900

The Petit Palais is proud to present the remarkable exhibition Brussels 1900, plunging the public into the heart of the Belgian capital’s vibrant art scene, whose influence would have a lasting mark on European art at the turn of the twentieth century. In the autumn of 1900, visitors to the World Fair, held in the newly inaugurated Grand Palais in Paris, discovered a Belgian section that sparked unanimous enthusiasm. Featuring almost one hundred-and-fifty paintings and sculptures from Belgium, it proved to be a veritable revelation. The exhibition captures this extraordinary cultural effervescence through over two hundred-and-fifty works, including paintings, sculptures, decorative arts, posters, jewellery, photographs, architectural designs, and the graphic arts. Organized in partnership with the Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts, Musées Royaux d’Art et d’Histoire, and the Bibliothèque Royale de Belgique, it brings together a number of exceptional loans from all three institutions.

Fernand Khnopff, Des Caresses, 1896. Huile sur toile, 50,5 x 150 cm. Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique. © Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Bruxelles / photo J. Van Seghbroeck