Voies De La Modernité

Exhibition at the Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Brussels, 15 October 2021 - 13 February 2022

From its appearance at the beginning of the 19th century until the middle of the 20th century, the train has been a subject of interest for artists. They were fascinated by the lights and the swirls of steam. They were hypnotised by the speed and power of the engine; they emphasised the plastic beauty of its curves, the pistons and the marvellous mechanism. They represented the tool and the fantasy, with their feet on the ground or their heads in the dreamlike world of travel and inner adventure.

This exhibition catalogue offers an artistic and historical journey around the theme of the train, through works by major artists of the 19th and 20th centuries - such as Monet, Caillebotte, Spilliaert, Boccioni, Severini, Léger, De Chirico, Mondrian, Servranckx, Caviglioni, Delvaux or Magritte.