Khnopff & Bruges
Sep. 26th, 2007 12:29 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
porphyrySome time ago I promised Petrus Plancius to post some scans of Khnopff’s photos of Bruges, the ones on which he based his famous drawings of the city.
As usual, memory deceived me.
Finally being able to look into the matter again, I must say that he based his drawing on the photos taken by Rodenbach for Bruges a la mort, as well as on simple post cards. But it does seem to be the case that he avoided physical return to the city after moving to Brussels at age 7. He told one of his biographers that he was sure the place was quite spoiled. I know precisely what he means. I am appalled when I go into the Downtown famous-Barr store here now: it is completely spoiled (they even call it a Macy’s). But the truth is, if I went back in a time machine to 1968, the store I would see that way would seem spoiled and ruined compared to the one I carry in my memory. Strange what we form attachments to.
Behind the cut are some illustrative scans.
Rodenbach:
Khnopff:
Rodenbach:
Khnopff:
Generic Postcard:
Khnopff:
And here is the Khnopff's hosue in Bruges (which he never rendered). Note that it is not just the townhouse, but also the structure continuing out of the picture to the left, and the courtyard on the other side of the buildings:
(note that these are thumbnails leading to really huge scans, if anyone wants them--they aren't that good though--all this is based on the 2004 exhibition catalog which I have never been able to get good scans from, even suing professional grade scanners in the art department at the university--there must be something about the printing...).
Khnopff’s grandfather owned a castle at Grembergen, since destroyed (probably in one of the wars, but I see no definite information on the point in the catalog), where he was actually born. Does anyone have a photo or other representation of that?
Finally, is anyone brave enough to offer an opinion of the character of Khnopff’s relations with his sister Marguerite? It is a subject I am quite undecided upon.
As usual, memory deceived me.
Finally being able to look into the matter again, I must say that he based his drawing on the photos taken by Rodenbach for Bruges a la mort, as well as on simple post cards. But it does seem to be the case that he avoided physical return to the city after moving to Brussels at age 7. He told one of his biographers that he was sure the place was quite spoiled. I know precisely what he means. I am appalled when I go into the Downtown famous-Barr store here now: it is completely spoiled (they even call it a Macy’s). But the truth is, if I went back in a time machine to 1968, the store I would see that way would seem spoiled and ruined compared to the one I carry in my memory. Strange what we form attachments to.
Behind the cut are some illustrative scans.
Rodenbach:
Khnopff:
Rodenbach:
Khnopff:
Generic Postcard:
Khnopff:
And here is the Khnopff's hosue in Bruges (which he never rendered). Note that it is not just the townhouse, but also the structure continuing out of the picture to the left, and the courtyard on the other side of the buildings:
(note that these are thumbnails leading to really huge scans, if anyone wants them--they aren't that good though--all this is based on the 2004 exhibition catalog which I have never been able to get good scans from, even suing professional grade scanners in the art department at the university--there must be something about the printing...).
Khnopff’s grandfather owned a castle at Grembergen, since destroyed (probably in one of the wars, but I see no definite information on the point in the catalog), where he was actually born. Does anyone have a photo or other representation of that?
Finally, is anyone brave enough to offer an opinion of the character of Khnopff’s relations with his sister Marguerite? It is a subject I am quite undecided upon.
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Date: 2007-09-27 12:54 pm (UTC)