Brussels, 1928. After a long period of construction, the Centre for Fine Arts (Palais des Beaux-Arts) officially opened its doors on 4 May. As Queen Elisabeth wished, the ambition of the brand-new institution was to be a place dedicated to the “living arts”. The tone was immediately set with a major exhibition in November devoted to the sculptor Antoine Bourdelle (1861–1929). A pupil and associate of Auguste Rodin and Alberto Giacometti’s teacher, among others, Bourdelle was one of the great sculptors of his time, particularly acclaimed for his majestic public monuments. Bourdelle impressed observers with a selection of monumental sculptures in the Sculpture Gallery (now the Horta Hall), culminating in the group General Alvear on Horseback and the Four Allegories. His vast exhibition, featuring... Read more