Image: Jakob Smitsmuseum, Mol
The exhibition ‘Gemaakt om geschilderd te worden: Kunstenaarskolonies in de Kempen 1840-1920’ opens at the Jakob Smitsmuseum on Saturday 19 September. Its opening takes place at 15:00 in the Sint-Bernarduskerk in Mol-Sluis, next to the Jakob Smitsmuseum.
The book ‘De schilders van de Kempen’ appears on the same day and will be presented during the festive opening. The richly illustrated 240-page volume examines the artists’ colonies of Genk, Kalmthout, Mol and Wechelderzande, as well as the artists who found inspiration there, including Jakob Smits, Adrien-Joseph Heymans, Henry van de Velde, Joseph Coosemans and Emile Van Doren.
The exhibition takes place at two locations: the Jakob Smitsmuseum in Mol and the Emile Van Dorenmuseum in Genk. It includes works by Heymans, Coosemans, Van de Velde, Carpentier, Roffiaen, Verstraete, Jakob Smits and Emile Van Doren, among others.
From the middle of the 19th century, the Kempen’s heathlands, sandy roads, pools and villages attracted artists, and colonies emerged in Genk, Kalmthout, Mol and Wechelderzande. For many artists, the region became both a refuge and a place to experiment with light, colour and composition in direct contact with nature.
The Mol presentation focuses on Jakob Smits, his life, his surroundings and his view of the Kempen, while the Genk presentation centres on landscape and painting outdoors. The opening programme features contributions from curator Peter Konings, journalist and author Jan Hertoghs, and Kristof Reulens, conservator of the Emile Van Dorenmuseum in Genk, followed by the presentation of ‘De schilders van de Kempen’.
