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Fernand Khnopff and Thr Sacrum ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 75 GEOFFREY SIMMINS, UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO Fernand Khnopff and Thr Sacrum Scholarship on Fernand Khnopff (1858-1921) contributes aJ1, article excerpted from has been enriched recently by a catalogue previously published writing. This was the raisonne on the artist, the first retrospective first issue of Ver Sacrum devoted entirely to exhibition devoted to his work, as well as the work of one artist. numerous specialized studies, mostly concerned with iconography.l What may still Studying this ensemble of reproduced be lacking in Fernand Khnopff studies, paintings, graphic illustrations and however, is an attempt to show how complementary texts provides an opportunity Khnopff's work was regarded by his to look at Khnopff's work in context. The contemporaries - how they saw it as texts by and on Khnopff, interpreted in "Symbolist. Ii An excellent vehicle for such a tandem with illustrations, make it possible to study, thus far not singled out for intensive examine Khnopff's art as it would have been analysis in its own right, is provided by the seen by the international audience which read special issue in December 1898 of the Ver Sacrum. Because the texts which Viennese Secessionists' magazine Ver accompany the illustrations offer some Sacrum, devoted to Khnopff. 2 critical commentary on Khnopff's art, the magazine becomes in effect a contemporary Ver Sacrum, the official voice of the assessment of the artist's work - almost a Viennese Secession, was a high-quality retrospective exhibition of the artist's work publication devoted principally to the visual to that date. arts and contemporary literature. Its first issue appeared in January, 1898; it published In addition to telling us a good deal about regularly until 1903.3 Its special issue on Khnopff, this issue of Ver Sacrum makes it Khnopff contains numerous reproductions of possible to broach a number of themes paintings by Khnopff, as well as graphic relevant to the whole Symbolist period. For illustrations and photographs of his instance, because the critical assessment of sculptures; accompanying these illustrations Khnopff's work is given in a magazine, this are texts on Khnopff and his work, written underscores the importance of art by leading Viennese and Belgian writers. publications during the late nineteenth Maurice Maeterlinck (1862-1949), Khnopff's century. Khnopff's graphic illustrations for fellow Belgian, contributes a play which is the magazine are an excellent demonstration sympathetic in tone to Khnopff's work, the that many Symbolist artists were interested in puppet drama La Mort de Tintagiles. 4 sister arts to painting. The magazine also Khnopff, a polished writer himself, attests to the cosmopolitanism and 76 Canadian Journal of Netherlandic Studies internationalism of the period. This issue on on in their efforts to hold an exhibition. They the Belgian artist Khnopff is published in a lacked a suitable exhibition space, however, Viennese publication accompanied by poetry and eventually had to rent a building from the and texts by French, Austrian and Belgian Viennese Horticultural Society. Their writers. This degree of internationalism is far inaugural exhibition, held from 26 March to from an anomaly; among many other similar 15 June, took its name from the building instances are the Glasgow Four finding their where it was held: the Gebiiude der most fertile ground in Turin and Vienna. Gartenbau Ausstellung. The Secessionists did not lack friends in high places; the Emperor Franz Josef attended the opening night Accordingly, there are several overlapping ceremonies. Engelhart writes that the reasons for studying this issue of Ver exhibition was "the first occasion on which Sacrum: 1) the magazine provides a case anyone had been able to get some idea of the study by which Khnopff's art can be work of the best French, English, Belgian interpreted as his contemporaries saw it; 2) it and German artists of the period.,,6 Among shows how important art periodicals such as those who participated were the group Ver Sacrum were in fostering and recruited by Engelhart - including Whistler, disseminating a particular image of an art~st; Puvis de Chavannes and Walter Crane - and 3) it serves as a particularly nch many others, including Frank Brangwyn, documentary source, integrating art and Arnold Bocklin, Rodin, Segantini, Klinger literature. Only by examining Khnopff's and Stuck. Khnopff exhibited twenty works, work in the broader context of literature and making him the single largest contributor. 7 the decorative arts is it possible to arrive at a The exhibition was wildly successful, so reasoned answer to the question of how, much so that the Secessionists were able to precisely, Khnopff's art was viewed as hold another one later that year, this time in Symbolist. the Society's new building, designed by Joseph Maria Olbrich (1867-1908). Khnopff We should first review the circumstances sent mne. wor ks . 8 which led to Khnopff's participation in the Viennese Secessionist exhibitions. The Part of the reason for the immense success of Secessionists were from the first the first Secessionist exhibition was the internationalist in outlook. 5 The Secessionist popular acclaim accorded Khnopff's. work~. artist Josef Engelhart (1864-1941), who had A whole room was reserved for hIm; hIS contacts in many other countries, was paintings were thronged by a curious and delegated to contact foreign artists regarding generally favorably impressed publi~. It .was their possible participation in the the kind of reception that caused hIS fnend Secessionists' first exhibition early in 1898. and first biographer, the poet Verhaeren, Among those he contacted were Khnopff, back home in Brussels, to write that Khnopff Rodin, Eugene Carriere, Puvis de Chavannes had received "dans toute la presse viennoise, and Whistler - all of them leading artists des eloges les plus flatteurs". 9 associated with the various movements against academic art which characterize the This popular success doubtless influenced late nineteenth century. All of them, Ver Sacrum's editorial board when it decided including Khnopff, declared their support. to award him the signal honor of a special Encouraged by the enthusiastic support from issue devoted to his work. There were also foreign artists, the Secessionists were spurred Femand Khnopff and Ver sacrum 77 other reasons which probably influenced the issue, caution impels me to avoid calling the board in Khnopff's favor. In 1989 Khnopff magazine "his" work. Nevertheless, since was at the peak of his powers and was widely tradition has it that he was responsible, I will admired across Europe. He was just the sort still refer to the images and texts as if they of artist who could demonstrate the had been selected by him. Secessionists' policy of internationalism in the arts. The year 1898 also marked Another methodological problem is raised by Khnopff's thirtieth birthday and although the type of illustrations which are included. / nowhere in the magazine is there a reference A distinction needs to be made between the to this, perhaps it was also in the minds of illustrations Khri.opff executed especially for the Secessionist artists. Also, Emperor this issue of the magazine and those which Franz Josef celebrated the fiftieth anniversary reproduce works created in another context. of his reign in 1898. This provides an The illustrations designed specifically for the additional reason for the special issue on magazine are restricted to the cover, two Khnopff, as there had historically existed a decorated initials and three illustrations for close link between Austria and Belgium La Mort de Tintagiles. Since the illustrations (Khnopff also had ancestors on his mother's designed specifically for the magazine side who sprang from aristocratic Austrian present a closer melding of text and stoCk).1O The Emperor, as we have said, illustrations than those reproduced from other attended the opening of the Gartenbau sources, should they be analyzed by different Ausstellung. methods? The illustrations for Tintagiles, for example, are indissolubly linked to the text. Before proceeding to a detailed description In most other instances the link between text and analysis of the magazine's contents, and illustration is at first glance more however, I wish to sound a note of caution. tenuous. Two examples will make this We do not mow with any precision what distinction clear. An illustration from Khnopff's role was in putting together this Tintagiles may be compared to another page issue of Ver Sacrum. 11 We do not know when from the magazine, where we see a decorated exactly he was invited to have his work initial, a reproduction of a frontispiece, and shown in Ver Sacrum; what his relations a separate text. Not only were images and were to the editors of the magazine has been text executed at different times and for impossible to determine. Khnopff's recent different clients, they seem singularly biographers write that he was responsible for unrelated thematically. The initial, executed the 'mise en page' of the magazine. 12 I in 1887, was designed for a printer in interpret this to mean that he was responsible Brussels. The frontispiece reproduces for laying out the pages, perhaps in Khnopff's title page for the Belgian writer collaboration with the magazine's art Gregoire Le Roy's book Mon Coeur pleure director. Did he also have a hand in choosing d'autre!ois, published in 1889. The text is an the texts? We cannot say. It does not change excerpt from a speech Khnopff gave to matters to any great extent if he did not Brussels' avant-garde group Le Cercle choose the texts, or even if he did not layout artistique on the English pre-Raphaelite the pages of the magazine; he certainly made painter Walter Crane in 1894. Yet by a significant contribution in any case. But bringing text and images together in a new without documentary evidence showing context, Khnopff imparts to each of them a exactly what work he performed for this new meaning - a composite meaning.
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