Skilful Engravers

Professor Jean-Patrick Duchesne begins the section on art with a summary of two centuries of Walloon contribution to art in France. He notes straight away that “The main characteristic of artistic production in the Romance provinces of Belgium was the extreme mobility of its creators.” The great European artistic centres, including Paris, evidently attracted Belgium’s best artists. The master goldsmith Jean Warin (or Varin, Liège 1607 – Paris 1672) initiated a Liégeois artistic movement in Paris. He was favoured by Richelieu, who put him in charge of implementing the monetary reform decreed by Louis XIII. He made many coins, medals, and busts, including that of Cardinal de Richelieu which can be found in the Bibliothèque Mazarine in Paris. Other studies in the book feature this extraordinary individual.

Among the many artists that would establish themselves in Paris after Warin, mention must be made of the engraver Jean Waldor (or Valdor, Liège, 1616-1675), who would become one of the Sun King’s most endowed artists. His Triomphes de Louis le Juste, XIII du nom, Roy de France et de Navarre are an ode to the glory of Louis XIII and his young successor. The work is impressive, consisting of 112 plates. Indeed, engraving was a Liégeois specialty; many would defend their art.

In painting, Bertholet Flémal (Liège, 1614-1675) landed a few fine commissions, such as his participation in the decoration of the Hôtel Lambert on the Île Saint-Louis and of the Église des Grands Augustins; he is also known for the ceiling of Louis XIV’s receiving room in the Tuileries Palace.

The Walloon presence in Paris and Versailles during this period owes much to the Redouté brothers. All three were born in Saint-Hubert (in 1756, 1759 and 1766, respectively). The eldest, Antoine-Ferdinand, paved the way for his brothers. The most famous is Pierre-Joseph, still the most well-known botanical painter in the world today. Léonard Defrance (Liège, 1735-1805) is another great name who gave us genre paintings, such as industrial views and studies of social evolution.

Professor emeritus Pierre Colman details the journey of one of these artists, little-known for some time, the medallist and sculptor Gérard-Léonard Hérard (1636-1675). Unfortunately, very few traces left of him (even the spelling of his name and of birth were uncertain for a long time!).