The Société Libre des Beaux-Arts ("Free Society of Fine Arts") was an organization formed in 1868 by Belgian artists to react against academicism and to advance Realist painting and artistic freedom. Based in Brussels, the society was active until 1876, by which time the aesthetic values it espoused had infiltrated the official Salon.Arto: Aperçus historiques It played a formative role in establishing avant-gardism in Belgium.Julius Kaplan, entry on "Société Libre des Beaux-Arts", in The Grove Dictionary of Art. From Renaissance to Impressionism: Styles and Movements in Western Art, 1400–1900 (St. Martin's Press, 2000), p. 343.
History The first exhibition of the Free Society was held in 1868Arto: Aperçus historiques. to provide an alternative art space beyond the Salon. Three exhibitions were held in 1872.Grove, p. 343. The society's manifesto was written by Camille van Camp and published 31 January, 1869. It emphasized the "free and individual interpretation of nature," a hallmark of Realist art, while also embracing avant-garde ideals such as struggle, transformation, liberty, progress, innovation, and inclusivity."Grove, p. 343.
The society published the periodicals L'Art Libre, a bi-monthly review (1871–72), and L'Art Universel (1873–76). In the first issue of L'Art Libre, they collectively asserted:
The goals of the Free Society were influenced by aesthetic ideals set forth by Gustave Courbet and the Barbizon artists and by the poet Charles Baudelaire. "Modernity" and "sincerity" were keywords.Arto: Aperçus historiques. Official cultural critics were at first openly hostile. Two early champions, however, were the critics Camille Lemonnier, a member, who urged that they should "be of their own time," and Théo Hannon (1851-1916), who saw them as rebels against artificiality.Grove, p. 343.
Membership A group portrait by society member Edmond Lambrichs shows the 16 artists of the original organizing committee.Grove, p. 343. The society attracted in particular landscape painters working at the Atelier Saint-Luc of Brussels, also known as the Académie de Saint-Luc (ca. 1846–1864).Arto: Aperçus historiques. Louis Dubois, Félicien Rops, Constantin Meunier and Louis Artan de Saint-Martin are considered leading members.Philippe Robert-Jones, The history of Painting in Belgium (Renaissance du Livre, 1995), p. 20.
Most of the society's members had also belonged to the Artistic and Literary Circle of Brussels and the Royal Belgian Society of Watercolorists.Cercle artistique et littéraire de Bruxelles and Société royale belge des Aquarellistes. After the society dissolved, several members joined groups such as La Chrysalide and Les XX.Arto: Aperçus historiques.
List of original members
Edouard Agneessens Louis Artan de Saint-Martin Alphonse Asselbergs Théodore Baron Antoine-Félix Bouré Paul Jean Clays Marie Collart-Henrotin Joseph Coosemans Charles de Groux Hippolyte de la Charlerie Louis Dubois Adrien-Joseph Heymans Edouard Huberti
Paul Lauters Camille Lemonnier Constantin Meunier
Félicien Rops Eugène Smits Camille van Camp
Isidore Verheyden Alfred Verwee
The society expressed an internationalist desire by inviting Courbet, Corot, Charles-François Daubigny, Théodore Rousseau and Jean-François Millet to join as honorary members.Grove, p. 343; William Orpen, The Outline of Art (W.H. Wise, 1934), p. 359.
See also List of Belgian painters Les XX
References