Victor Rousseau (

Feluy Feluy () is a village of Wallonia and a district of the municipality of Seneffe, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. The first mention of the village is from 673, but the settlement probably dates back to the time of the Gauls. Stone quar ...

, 16 December 1865 –

Forest A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense ecological community, community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, ...

, 17 March 1954) also known as M. Victor Rousseau, was a Belgian sculptor and medalist.

Biography

Rousseau was of Walloon heritage and descended from a line of stonemasons. He began carving stone at age 11, working at the site of the

Law Courts of Brussels The Palace of Justice of Brussels or Law Courts of Brussels is a courthouse in Brussels, Belgium. It is the country's most important court building, seat of the judicial ''arrondissement'' of Brussels, as well as of several courts and tribuna ...

, designed by architect

Joseph Poelaert Joseph Poelaert (21 March 1817 – 3 November 1879) was a Belgium, Belgian architect. He was entrusted with important projects in Brussels, such as Saint Catherine's Church, Brussels, Saint Catherine's Church, the Church of Our Lady of Laeken, t ...

. He later apprenticed under sculptor Georges Houtstont, and took classes at the

Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts The Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Brussels ( ''(ArBA-EsA)''; ) is an art school in Brussels, Belgium, founded in 1711. Starting from modest beginnings in a single room in Brussels Town Hall, Brussels' Town Hall, it has since 1876 been operat ...

in Brussels. A winning competition entry for the

Prix Godecharle The Prix Godecharle (), also known in English as the Godecharle Prize or the Godecharle Contest, is a contest for art students, the winners of which are granted a scholarship allocated by the Godecharle Foundation. The prize allows young talents, un ...

in 1890 gave Rousseau the chance to travel in England, Italy, and two full years in France, after which he returned to the atelier of Belgian sculptor and teacher

Charles van der Stappen Charles van der Stappen (also Karl van der Stappen; 19 September 1843 – 21 October 1910), was a Belgian sculptor, born in Saint-Josse-ten-Noode. Life Educated at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels (1859–1868), van der Stappen ...

for another two years, 1887 through 1889. Rousseau himself served as professor of sculpture at the

from 1901 through 1919, and as director from 1919 through 1922 (succeeding van der Stappen in that role) and then again from 1931 through 1935.

Honours

* 1919 : Commander of the Order of the Crown.Royal Decree of H.M. King Albert I on 14 November 1919

Work

* ''Le Hibou'' and ''Le Perroquet'' at the

Botanical Garden of Brussels The Botanical Garden of Brussels (, ; , ) is a former botanical garden in Brussels, Belgium. It was created in 1826 and stood on the Rue Royale, Brussels, Rue Royale/Koningsstraat in Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, near Brussels' Northern Quarter, Bruss ...

, circa 1898 * monument panel to

Charles Buls Charles François Gommaire Buls (; 13 October 1837 – 13 July 1914) was a Belgian politician and mayor of the City of Brussels. Early life Charles François Gommaire Buls was born in Brussels as the son of a goldsmith from the region of Mechel ...

and the builders of the

Grand-Place The (French language, French, ; "Grand Square"; also used in English) or (Dutch language, Dutch, ; "Big Market") is the central Town square, square of Brussels, Belgium. It is surrounded by opulent Baroque architecture, Baroque guildhalls of ...

, with architect

Victor Horta Victor Pierre Horta (; Victor, Baron Horta after 1932; 6 January 1861 – 8 September 1947) was a Belgian architect and designer, and one of the founders of the Art Nouveau movement. He was a fervent admirer of the French architectural theoris ...

, 1899 * corner relief panel at the

Art Nouveau Art Nouveau ( ; ; ), Jugendstil and Sezessionstil in German, is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. It was often inspired by natural forms such as the sinuous curves of plants and ...

Hôtel Hannon, for architect Jules Brunfaut,

Saint-Gilles, Belgium ( French, ) or ( Dutch, ) is one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the southern part of the region, it is bordered by the City of Brussels, Anderlecht, Forest and Ixelles. In common with all of Brus ...

, 1903 * allegorical statues for the ''Pont de Fragnée'', Liege, circa 1904 * Tribute to

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...

, KMSKA, circa 1908 * Anglo-Belgian Memorial,

Victoria Embankment Victoria Embankment is part of the Thames Embankment (the other section is the Chelsea Embankment), a road and river-walk along the north bank of the River Thames in London, England. Built in the 1860s, it runs from the Palace of Westminster to ...

, London, 1920, with British architect Sir

Reginald Blomfield Sir Reginald Theodore Blomfield (20 December 1856 – 27 December 1942) was a prolific British architect, garden designer and author of the Victorian and Edwardian period. Early life and career Blomfield was born at Bow rectory in Devon, w ...

* monumental figural group ''Maturity'', Montagne du Parc, Brussels, 1922 * bust of

Albert Giraud Albert Giraud (; 23 June 1860 – 26 December 1929) was a Belgian poet who wrote in French. Biography Giraud was born Emile Albert Kayenbergh in Leuven, Belgium. He studied law at the University of Leuven. He left university without a de ...

Josaphat Park Josaphat Park (; ) is an urban public park of in the municipality of Schaerbeek in Brussels, Belgium. The hilly English landscape garden, English-style park was designed between 1901 and 1904 by the landscape architect :fr:Edmond Galoppin, Edm ...

Schaerbeek (French language, French, ; former History of Dutch orthography, Dutch spelling) or (modern Dutch language, Dutch, ) is one of the List of municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, 19 municipalities of the Brussels, Brussels-Capital Reg ...

References

External links

* 1865 births 1954 deaths Walloon people 20th-century Belgian sculptors 19th-century Belgian sculptors 19th-century Belgian male artists Commanders of the Order of the Crown (Belgium) Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Brussels alumni Academic staff of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Brussels 20th-century Belgian male artists {{Belgium-sculptor-stub