The quality of this art lies in its radical faith in beauty and in its obsession with expressing the incomprehensible in images.The Belgian contribution to Symbolist art is extraordinary in both quantitative and qualitative terms and exerted a decisive influence on the art of later generations.

In no other European country was Symbol-ism, a philosophical orientation expressed in music, art and literature, so richly and distinctively represented at the end of the 19th century as in Belgium. A close look at this chapter in the history of Belgian art enables us to trace the continuous development of the unique qualities and the historical roots of Symbolist art from the turn of the century through the brilliant Surrealism of Magritte and Delvaux to Marcel Broodthaers and ulti mately to the artists of our day.

Published in conjunction with the first Euro pean exhibition of Belgian Symbolist art ever presented outside Belgium, this book is an anthology of major and representative works of the most significant Symbolist artists. In addition to well-known names, the selection focuses on a number of unjustifiably neglected figures. The concepts of "death" and "Eros" identify two essential thematic focuses.

The publication was thoroughly researched,compiled and edited by Dr. Sigrun Loos and Professor Peter Weiermair, both of the Rupertinum, Museum fvr moderne und zeitgen6ssische Kunst in Salzburg.

Foreword

PETER WEIERMAIR

PETER WEIERMAIR

Eros and Death

Belgian Symbolism

SABINE TAEVERNIER

The Symbolist Movement

in Belgium

Plates

List of Plates

Biographies