La Libre Esthétique

 

Meta-Impressionism /other exhibitions:

Salon de la

Libre Esthétique

1894-1914

in Brussels

 

Introduction:
The Salon de la Libre Esthétique was the successor of Les XX which was abolished in 1893 by majority vote of the members. It was solely founded by Octave Maus (1856-1919), who had the decisive voice (R5,p214;R68,p41). In this sense you can’t speak anymore of an independant group exhibition, like the ‘impressionist’ expositions were from 1874-86. Many ‘impressionists’ did take part at these salons except Caillebotte (R5,p214). The invited artists were more and more respectable; avant-garde artists now exhibited at the Gallery of Georges Giroux. (R68,p48). The 1st World War ended the exhibitions in 1914 (R68,p48).
On this page you will find limited information per year on the Salons de la Libre Esthétique. The focus is on which partakers of the ‘impressionists’ exhibitions did join La Libre Esthétique in which years, with how many works and (if possible) with what works? Additionally you will find some information on other (more known and mainly French) artists that did partake. Additional info and pictures will be added later on.

 

The size of the exhibitions:
When we look at the catalogues of 1905-1912 there was a number of partakers varying from 24 till 66 with an average of 38, so more than the ‘impressionist’ expositions held from 1874-86. The catalogue numbers varied from 223 till 289 (so quite stable), with an average of 254, which is about the same as the ‘impressionist’ expositions. The number of catalogue entries per partaker varied from 3,3 till 10,7, with an average of 6,7, which is less than at the ‘impressionist’ expositions.

 

1894/02/17 – 03/15 (=1LE-1894):
1st Salon de La Libre Esthétique. Several ‘impressionists’ did take part: Gauguin, Morisot, Pissarro, Redon, Renoir (2x), Signac, Sisley; and also para-impressionists like Puvis de Chavannes; and also post-Impressionists like Denis and Ranson.
(R31,p315; R39,p326; R42,p92; R49,p92; R106,p420; R116I,p364; R88II,p410)

1895/02/23 – 04/01 (=2LE-1895):
2nd exposition de la Libre Estétique; with ; and Neo-Impressionists like: Luce. (R306,p139)

1896/02/22 – 03/30 (=3LE-1896):
3rd exposition; with Guillaumin, Lebourg, Monet (1x), Lucien Pissarro, Renoir (1x), Signac; Zandomeneghi. And also: Besnard, Bonnard, Charles Cottet, Denis, F. Jourdain, Henri Martin, Mauffra, Ch. Maurin, Henry Moret, H. Paillard, Toulouse-Lautrec, Vuillard, etc.
It included an exhibition of le Théâtre populaire by Eugène Carrière and a serie of portraits, figures and landscapes. There were also sculptures and craft works by Alex. Charpentier, F.R. Carabin, emile Gallé, F. Thesmar, P. Roche, J. Baffier, E. Chaplet, E. Muller, Saint-André, Hesteaux, etc + from England G. Frampton, H. Fehr, F.M. Taubmann. From Holland M. Bauer, J. Toorop, F. Melchers, J. Thorn-Prikker, Hart Nibbrig and Colenbrander. From the USA M. Tiffany, H. Bradley and J. Welden Hawkins.
Sources: 1896/02/16, Journal des artistes, p1347 (iR40) (R22IV,p1017; R31,p316; R39,p326; R106,p420)

1897/02/25 – 04/01 (=4LE-1897):
4th exposition de la Libre Estétique; with Gauguin; Monet (3x); and Neo-Impressionists like: Cross, Luce.
(R22IV,p1018; R49,p92; R306,p139;iR3; )

1898 (=5LE-1898):
Partakers were Neo-Impressionists like: Henri le Sidaner.

1899 (=6LE-1899):
There was a posthumous retrospective of Rops (?-1898) (R88II,p410).

1900/03/01-30 (=7LE-1900):
7th exposition de la Libre Estétique; with Signac; and Neo-Impressionists like: Luce. (R306,p139;R56,p69; R106,p420)

1901/03/01 – 31 (=8LE-1901):
Huitième exposition du Salon de la Libre Esthétique. With Monet (3x) Pissarro (7 paintings lent by Durand-Ruel), Renoir (2x); and Neo-Impressionists like: Cross,
(R31,p316; R116,p365; R22IV,p1018;iR3;.)

1902 (=9LE-1902):
Partakers were Neo-Impressionists like: Henri le Sidaner. Eugène Rouart held a lecture at the Salon de la Libre Esthétique l1902/03/07 (see iR19//ia600900).

1903 (=10LE1903):

 

1904/02/25 – 03/29, “Exposition des peintres Impressionnistes” (=11LE-1904):
11th exposition de la Libre Estétique; with Monet (20x) Pissarro (7x), Renoir (12x), Signac; and Neo-Impressionists like: Cross, Luce. This was one of the international exhibitions that was explicitly called “impressionist“. Cross showed works made in Venice (R56,p160). Posthumously there were also works of Seurat exhibited (R183,p281+no183+207↓)
(R31,p316; R106,p420; R116I,p366; R306,p139; iR3; R22IV,p1019)

1905/02/21 – 03/23 (=12LE-1905):
La douzième Exposition with 36 partakers showing 223 works, including James Ensor (5x), Childe Hassam (3x), Ferdinand Hart Nibbrig (3x), Émile Nolde (4x), Alexander Robinson (9x) and Jan Toorop (7x). (R237/iR261)

1906/02/22 – 03/25 (=13LE-1906):
La treizième Exposition with 35 partakers showing 263 works, including ; Fauves like Camoin (4x), Manguin (3x), Marquet (6x), Matisse (7x), Puy (6x). Mlle Laura Albeniz exhibited 37 “pages d’album”. There also was a retrospective of Isidore Verheyden with 24 oil paintings and 21 studies, mainly landscapes. (R237/iR261).

1907/03/03 – 04/03 (=14LE-1907):
Quatorzième Exposition with 25 partakers showing 254 works, including Para-Impressionists like: Carrière 30x!), Laprade (4x); and Fauves like Derain (4 oils depciting London), Friesz (5x), de Vlaminck (5x). (R237/iR261).

1908/03/01 – 04/05, Salon jubilaire (=15LE-1908):
15th exposition de la Libre Estétique, also called “Salon jubilaire” with 66 partakers showing 220 works including: Cassatt (1x), Degas (2 pastels), Guillaumin (3x), Monet (3 oils + 2 drawings), JF Raffaëlli (1x, loan Octave Maus), Renoir (4 oils + 4 drawings), Signac (4x); and Para-Impressionists like: Besnard (2 oils + 2 drawings), d’Espagnat (2x), Guérin (5x), Lerolle (1x), Peské (2 oils +5 drawings); and Neo-Impressionists like: Cross (3x), Luce (3x), Van Rysselberghe (3 oils + 8x cartons), ; and Post-Impressionists like: Bonnard (3x?), Denis (3x oils, 2x cartons, 2x studies), Ensor (3 studies), Roussel (4x), Sérusier (2x), Valtat (3x), Vuillard (3x).
Sources: R237/iR261; R106,p420; R22IV,p1020; iR3;

 

1909/03/07 – 04/12 (=16LE-1909):
16th exposition de la Libre Estétique with 40 partakers showing 289 works, including: Redon (6x pastel + 7x lithographs / portraits), with Renoir (1x, loan Mme Alfred Edwards), Signac (2x); and Para-Impressionists like: d’Espagnat (4x), Guérin (4x), Laprade (6x); and Neo-Impressionists like: Cross (2x), Van Rysselberghe (10 paintings + 2 drawings); and Post-Impressionists like: Bonnard (6x, including 4x portrait), Denis (4x), Vuillard (7x); and Fauves like: Manguin (3x).
Sources: R237/iR261; R31,p317; R106,p420; iR3; R182IV,p335).

1910/03/12 – 04/17, L’Évolution du paysage (=17LE-1910):
17th exposition de la Libre Estétique called “L’Évolution du paysage” with 50 partakers showing 275 works, including: Gauguin (4x), Guillaumin (3x), Lebourg (3x), Lépine (3x, all loans), Monet (4x), Pissarro (4x), Renoir (3x), Seurat (3x), Signac (3x), Sisley (4x); and (loans of) Barbizon painters like: Corot (5x), Daubigny (3x), Diaz (4x), Dupré, ; and (loans of) Para-Impressionists like: J.C. Cazin (3x), Courbet (5x), Jongkind (4x), Laprade (5x); and Neo-Impressionists like: Cross (2x) and Van Rysselberghe (4x); and (loans of) Post-Impressionists like: Roussel (3x), Valtat (2x), Van Gogh(3x), Vuillard (6x); and Fauves like: Manguin (2x), Marquet (5x), Matisse (2x).
Sources: R237/iR261;R31,p317; R106,p420; R22IV,p1020; R116I,p368.

1911/03/18 – 04/23 (=18LE-1911):
Dix-huitième Exposition with 26 partakers showing 251 works, including Para-Impressionists like: Guérin (2x), Jovenau (3x); and Neo-Impressionists like: Cross (39x!, including 12 watercolours), Van Rysselberghe (33x!, including 17 studies and 5 panels); Post-Impressionists like: Denis (1x), Vuillard (2x); and Fauves like: Marquet (5 drawings).
Sources: R237/iR261;

1912/03/09 – 04/14 (=19LE-1912):
La dix-neuvième Exposition with 24 partakers showing 256 works, including: Neo-Impressionists like: Lebasque (1x); Post-Impressionists like: Bonnard (9x), Roussel (4x), Valtat (5x); and Fauves like: Van Dongen (7x), . There was an exhibition dedicated to Forain (49x!, including 28 oils).
Sources: R237/iR261.

1913/03/08 – 04/13, Interprétations du Midi (=20LE-1913):
20th exposition of La Libre Estétique was called “Interprétations du Midi”, Boudin (1x), Cézanne (4x), Guillaumin (5x), Monet (6x), Renoir (4x), Signac (18x!, including 13 watercolours); and  Para-Impressionists like: d’Espagnat (11x), Laprade (2x), Peské (26x!, including 7 oils); and Neo-Impressionists like: Cross (11x, including 4 watercolours), Van Rysselberghe (6x); Post-Impressionists like: Bonnard (3x), Denis (1x), Van Gogh (7x, all loans, including Le Pont d’Arles); and Fauves like: Friesz (3x), Manguin (6x), Marquet (2x). Monneret states that also Gauguin’s Les Alyscamps was part of the exhibition, but this is not confirmed by the catalogue (R88II,p410;iR261).
Sources: iR261;R31,p318; . Note: left out in R106.

1914/03/07 – 04/13 (=21LE-1914):
The exhibition is titled “Hommage à Dario de Regoyos”, who had died the year before and included a retrospective showing 51 oils, 3 watercolours and 7 drawings, merely landscapes. In total there were 41 partakers showing 233 works, including Neo-Impressionists like: Lantoine, Lebasque (3x); Post-Impressionists like: Ensor (1x). (R237/iR261;R88II,p410).

 

Locations:
Here you will find an overview of where the exhibitions of La Libre Estétique were held in Brussels. Mostly the location is unknown:

Musée Moderne in 1895 +97 +1900 (R306,p139)

 

 

Sources:
Of course the catalogues↓ are a very important source (=R237=iR261), but I have no access to those of 1894-1904. My other main sources are Monneret (R88II,p409-410), Ferretti Bocquillon (2010=R306), Cachin (2000=R106). For other general references (=R) see. For other references to internet sites (=iR) see.

Catalogues:

12LE-1905: In Database of Modern Exhibitions (DoME). European Paintings and Drawings 1905-1915. Last modified Sep 23, 2020. http://exhibitions.univie.ac.at/exhibition/10 (=R237/iR261).

13LE-1906: In Database of Modern Exhibitions (DoME). European Paintings and Drawings 1905-1915. Last modified Jul 27, 2020. http://exhibitions.univie.ac.at/exhibition/46  (R237/iR261).

14LE-1907: In Database of Modern Exhibitions (DoME). European Paintings and Drawings 1905-1915. Last modified Jul 27, 2020. http://exhibitions.univie.ac.at/exhibition/93  (=R237/iR261).

15LE-1908: In Database of Modern Exhibitions (DoME). European Paintings and Drawings 1905-1915. Last modified Sep 23,  2020. http://exhibitions.univie.ac.at/exhibition/151  (=R237/iR261).

16LE-1909: In Database of Modern Exhibitions (DoME). European Paintings and Drawings 1905-1915. Last modified Jul 27, 2020. http://exhibitions.univie.ac.at/exhibition/210 (=R237/iR261).

17LE-1910: In Database of Modern Exhibitions (DoME). European Paintings and Drawings 1905-1915. Last modified Jul 27, 2020. http://exhibitions.univie.ac.at/exhibition/277  (R237/iR261)

18LE-1911: In Database of Modern Exhibitions (DoME). European Paintings and Drawings 1905-1915. Last modified Jun 8, 2020. http://exhibitions.univie.ac.at/exhibition/348 (R237/iR261).

19LE-1912: In Database of Modern Exhibitions (DoME). European Paintings and Drawings 1905-1915. Last modified Jul 27,  2020. http://exhibitions.univie.ac.at/exhibition/433 (R237/iR261).

20LE-1913: In Database of Modern Exhibitions (DoME). European Paintings and Drawings 1905-1915. Last modified Jul 27,  2020. http://exhibitions.univie.ac.at/exhibition/546 (iR261)

21LE-1914: In Database of Modern Exhibitions (DoME). European Paintings and Drawings 1905-1915. Last modified May 25, 2020. http://exhibitions.univie.ac.at/exhibition/654 (=iR261).

 

Recommanded citation: “Meta-Impressionism / other exhibitions: Salon de La Libre Esthétique (1894-1914) in Brussels. Last modified 2023/05/02. https://www.impressionism.nl/la-libre-esthetique/

 

Note: additional info will follow. I will also try to render pictures of the other artists in the future.