JULES SCHMALZIGAUG IN THE PRINT ROOM

Jules Schmalzigaug is a pivotal figure in Belgian modernism. He created the first abstract oil painting in Belgian art history. He was the first Belgian avant-garde artist to penetrate the core of Italian and international Futurism. And with Ensor and Wouters, he belongs to the Big Three modern colour artists. 

The largest collection in the world

KMSKA already had the largest collection in the world of James Ensor and Rik Wouters. Of late, the same applies to Jules Schmalzigaug. Ronny and Jessy Van de Velde have donated 43 drawings, 4 sketchbooks, a preliminary study, lithography, a painting, personal photos and an archive collection of manuscripts and letters to the museum. His drawings, sketches and pastels will form the core of an atmospheric exhibition in the print room.

Belgian Futurist

Jules Schmalzigaug (1882-1917) was a Belgian artist who fled to The Hague during the First World War. Before the war, he followed avant-garde art in Paris, Venice and Rome, where he absorbed Futurist and Impressionist influences. His paintings, such as the work exhibited in Amsterdam (1916), synthesised his skills as an impressionist, futurist and colourist. Schmalzigaug experimented with 'La Panchromie', an unpublished manifesto that explored the use of colour in painting, influenced by theosophical ideas. His untimely death in 1917 prevented further development, but his contributions to artistic innovation and the interaction between colour and light remain remarkable in the history of modern art.

Practical information

• In the print room on the third floor.
• A visit to the exhibition is included in the museum admission ticket. There is no need to book a separate time slot for this expo.