DOI Heft:
No. 4 (July, 1893)
DOI Artikel:Ritchie, Alick P. F.: L' Academie Royale des Beaux-Arts d'Anvers
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17188#0160
The Antwerp School of Art
mortals, whilst our future R.A.'s and P.R.A.'s tramp aside, armed with brush and palette, working as if
noisily along, lending at times their voices (occa- for dear life. These men are mostly men of war
sionally far from melodious) to some wild Belgian not from choice, but from compulsion, who, whilst
song, or swelling forth into the strain of the latest doing their three years' military service, are true to
comic song in a way to cause the dead monks to the profession they mean to follow when free,
turn in their graves. The art of the Antwerp School is characterised by
Britain is, or ought to be, grateful to Antwerp, a breadth and manliness which place it half-way
for it is here that many of her sons, fleeing South between the modern British School and the French ;
Kensington and her system, have studied free of and for technique and feeling, the work turned out
charge from time to time, whose names are now, could, at one time, cope with any on the Continent,
to borrow an expression from a well-known adver- The intending student who is not strong in his
tisement, household words in the world of Art. French or Flemish need have no fears, for most of
From year to year, the hum- the professors speak " Engleesh " after a fashion,
ber of students to Antwerp Good lodgings may be obtained in many parts
and her renowned Academy of the town at moderate prices. I should recom-
increases from all parts of mend the Rempart Ste. Catherine as being a
the United Kingdom. cheerful street and not too far from the Academy.
The working hours of the From thirty to forty francs per month for a room
Academy average seven a and breakfast is about the usual charge ; in some
day, and punctuality is a places an arrangement can be made for board and
feature. Breaches of disci- lodging, costing about eighty francs per month,
pline are punished by giving Living may be done still cheaper than this, as
the offender compulsory many of the students do a bit of cooking " on
~~i „ holidays for two or three their own hook" : but the
P. VAN H AVh. KM At I '
days or sometimes weeks, money saved in this way
If the offence be grievous the student is given a often goes in another,
congee of indefinite duration, and he adjourns from Student life at Antwerp
the Academie sine die. This form of punishment is js very pleasant, and be-
known as " A la porte," and in its milder forms sides the advantage of
proves a perfect boon to the lazier members of the Academy training there
student community. No smoking is allowed, are many pictures to be
Time was when the students might smoke and seen, and museums to be
paint the livelong day ; and there is a record that explored, from which a
on one occasion the cloud of smoke was so dense valuable stock of sketches
and copious that it obscured the model. They may be obtained. Draw-
have changed all that; those halcyon days are ;ng an(j painting materials
gone, for there now hangs on every wall this baneful are supplied by "good old"
caution in Flemish and French : Madame Roosemaelen in
the Rue des Aveugles.
She is kindness itself, and the " Antwerpsche
We give portraits of the mainstays of the nweder" of the Englishmen.
Academy, Director Albrecht De Vriendt, and It is not necessary here to give a list of well-
Head Professor, P. Van Havermaet. M. de known English artists who spent a goodly portion
Vriendt (successor to the strong Chas. Verlat,' who 0f their student days in the schools of the Rue du
died a few years ago) is of a progressive turn of Fagot, but the number of those who chose Antwerp
mind and is endeavouring to keep the school up to jn preference to Paris would probably surprise many
its old form. In this he is ably backed by M. Van who think all foreign influence on British art must
Havermaet, who is quite a feature of the place. be French.
The branches of art taught are : Painting, if not too fond of frequenting music-halls and
Sculpture, Engraving, and Architecture—in each other places of amusement (presumably, of course,
case beginning with the straight line. Quite a for the purpose of character study) the cost of
number of soldiers are to be found amongst the living will, on the whole, be found cheaper at
students, and it strikes an Englishman as strange Antwerp than in most educational centres,
to find Tommy Atkins, his sword and helmet laid Alick P. F. Ritchie.
142
verboden te rookex. defense de ku.mer.
mortals, whilst our future R.A.'s and P.R.A.'s tramp aside, armed with brush and palette, working as if
noisily along, lending at times their voices (occa- for dear life. These men are mostly men of war
sionally far from melodious) to some wild Belgian not from choice, but from compulsion, who, whilst
song, or swelling forth into the strain of the latest doing their three years' military service, are true to
comic song in a way to cause the dead monks to the profession they mean to follow when free,
turn in their graves. The art of the Antwerp School is characterised by
Britain is, or ought to be, grateful to Antwerp, a breadth and manliness which place it half-way
for it is here that many of her sons, fleeing South between the modern British School and the French ;
Kensington and her system, have studied free of and for technique and feeling, the work turned out
charge from time to time, whose names are now, could, at one time, cope with any on the Continent,
to borrow an expression from a well-known adver- The intending student who is not strong in his
tisement, household words in the world of Art. French or Flemish need have no fears, for most of
From year to year, the hum- the professors speak " Engleesh " after a fashion,
ber of students to Antwerp Good lodgings may be obtained in many parts
and her renowned Academy of the town at moderate prices. I should recom-
increases from all parts of mend the Rempart Ste. Catherine as being a
the United Kingdom. cheerful street and not too far from the Academy.
The working hours of the From thirty to forty francs per month for a room
Academy average seven a and breakfast is about the usual charge ; in some
day, and punctuality is a places an arrangement can be made for board and
feature. Breaches of disci- lodging, costing about eighty francs per month,
pline are punished by giving Living may be done still cheaper than this, as
the offender compulsory many of the students do a bit of cooking " on
~~i „ holidays for two or three their own hook" : but the
P. VAN H AVh. KM At I '
days or sometimes weeks, money saved in this way
If the offence be grievous the student is given a often goes in another,
congee of indefinite duration, and he adjourns from Student life at Antwerp
the Academie sine die. This form of punishment is js very pleasant, and be-
known as " A la porte," and in its milder forms sides the advantage of
proves a perfect boon to the lazier members of the Academy training there
student community. No smoking is allowed, are many pictures to be
Time was when the students might smoke and seen, and museums to be
paint the livelong day ; and there is a record that explored, from which a
on one occasion the cloud of smoke was so dense valuable stock of sketches
and copious that it obscured the model. They may be obtained. Draw-
have changed all that; those halcyon days are ;ng an(j painting materials
gone, for there now hangs on every wall this baneful are supplied by "good old"
caution in Flemish and French : Madame Roosemaelen in
the Rue des Aveugles.
She is kindness itself, and the " Antwerpsche
We give portraits of the mainstays of the nweder" of the Englishmen.
Academy, Director Albrecht De Vriendt, and It is not necessary here to give a list of well-
Head Professor, P. Van Havermaet. M. de known English artists who spent a goodly portion
Vriendt (successor to the strong Chas. Verlat,' who 0f their student days in the schools of the Rue du
died a few years ago) is of a progressive turn of Fagot, but the number of those who chose Antwerp
mind and is endeavouring to keep the school up to jn preference to Paris would probably surprise many
its old form. In this he is ably backed by M. Van who think all foreign influence on British art must
Havermaet, who is quite a feature of the place. be French.
The branches of art taught are : Painting, if not too fond of frequenting music-halls and
Sculpture, Engraving, and Architecture—in each other places of amusement (presumably, of course,
case beginning with the straight line. Quite a for the purpose of character study) the cost of
number of soldiers are to be found amongst the living will, on the whole, be found cheaper at
students, and it strikes an Englishman as strange Antwerp than in most educational centres,
to find Tommy Atkins, his sword and helmet laid Alick P. F. Ritchie.
142
verboden te rookex. defense de ku.mer.