Belgian artists were at the vanguard of the international symbolist movement of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, a key moment in the development of modern art.  Showcasing the most significant collection of Belgian symbolist art in private hands, this exhibition presents nearly 130 major paintings and sculptures by Belgian artists Fernand Khnopff, Léon Frederic, Constantin Meunier, George Minne, Xavier Mellery, and Léon Spilliaert. The international context is highlighted with works by Gustave Moreau, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, František Kupka, and Koloman Moser. Building on the historic tradition of Belgian and Flemish art, the works are innovative in style and personal vision, presented in full color in this volume.

 
Essays by leading international scholars illuminate topics including the symbolic importance of the medieval city of Bruges, stylistic and technical engagement with the art of the past, the role of portraiture in symbolist art, dialogue with social issues from both Christian and socialist viewpoints, new conceptions of the link between psychology and physical expression, and the mysterious art of Spilliaert.