La Libre Esthétique

 

Please do not quote from this webpage, which is under construction.
The information is incomplete and maybe partly incorrect.

 

Meta-Impressionism /other exhibitions:

Salon de la

Libre Esthétique

An independant group exhibition in Brussels

 

Introduction:
The Salons de la Libre Esthétique was the successor of Les XX which was abolished in 1893. It was solely founded by Octave Maus (R5,p214). Many ‘impressionists’ did take part at these salons except Caillebotte (R5,p214).

 

1894/02/17 – 03/15 (=1LE-1894):
1st Salon de La Libre Esthétique. Several ‘impressionists’ did take part: Gauguin, Morisot, Pissarro, Renoir (2x), Signac.
(R31,p315; R39,p326; R42,p92; R49,p92; R106,p420; R116I,p364)

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):

 

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).
(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-1911):
La dix-neuvième Exposition with 24 partakers showing 256 works, including: Forain (49x!, including 28 oils); and Neo-Impressionists like: Lebasque (1x); Post-Impressionists like: Bonnard (9x), Roussel (4x), Valtat (5x); and Fauves like: Van Dongen (7x), .
Sources: R237/iR261.

1913/03/08 – 04/13, Interprétations du Midi (=20LE-1911):
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); and Fauves like: Friesz (3x), Manguin (6x), Marquet (2x).
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).

 

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:
My main sources are Ferretti Bocquillon (2010=R306),

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).