3.6 Balancing act: Rome and Brussels
The final letter from Rome written by one of the students comes from Jean-Baptiste Van Eycken and is dated February 11, 1839.1 Shortly thereafter, he would leave Rome and relocate to Paris as his new base, where he quickly took on the role of professor and earned several prizes for his paintings [23-24].2 In the letter, he thanks Navez for his paternal care and emphasizes his ambition to sustain their friendship. True to his word, Van Eycken’s correspondence with Navez continues until his passing in 1853.3 In this last letter from Rome, Van Eycken reflects on how his efforts had enabled him to show the critics of 'our school' (the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels) the accomplishments of 'our' collective efforts. This remark highlights an additional challenge for Navez’s students in the Eternal City: balancing their focus between Rome and Brussels, at least in their correspondence.
In the letters a pattern emerges where pupils predominantly mention the city of residence, expressing their enthusiasm and excitement about an unfamiliar world.4 However, their correspondence also clearly indicates that despite their physical presence in Rome, their attention often shifts back to Brussels as well. The letters reveal this strategic engagement with Navez's world, particularly through the mention of salons in Belgium, as the students relied on their master to exhibit their work in salons in Brussels, Ghent, and Antwerp. He facilitated their entry into the salons and endeavoured, at their request, to secure a favourable placement. The inclusion of a painting in the salon served as a clear indicator of success, signifying not only the merit of the artwork but also the artist's overall accomplishment.5
'Since I [Robert] have no doubt that you are a member of the commission, I would be very grateful if you could ensure that it’s well positioned. If my painting — whose effect is quite subdued, as it is illuminated by a broad light against an equally bright background — does not receive clear, direct lighting, I’m done for.'6
It is crucial to acknowledge that students faced uncertainty when selecting themes for their artworks. In Rome, the admiration for the old masters and a high regard for historical scenes could coexist with an appreciation for more popular subjects, which also resonated with the students. In contrast, in Brussels, history painting struggled to compete with the emerging Belgian preference for genre scenes.7 Therefore, students had to carefully navigate between Roman and Brussels tastes, as Navez promoted ‘his’ artistic school through the paintings his pupils submitted from Italy for the annual salon in Belgium. For instance, Van Eycken wrote in his above-mentioned letter of his gratitude for Navez’s guidance and the wish to demonstrate, through his work, the enduring value of the school’s artistic ideals. ‘I will devote my whole life to constant effort, in order to show one day to the enemies of our school all that your patronage has made it capable of achieving.’8
In this regard, it is noteworthy that in their correspondence, the students wisely concealed certain details from their tutor. This would also be the case of Joseph Stallaert (1825-1903), one of the later pupils who visited Rome between 1848 and 1851 [25]. In Rome, Stallaert found in Mr. Morelli a second mentor to assist him with more Italianate on-site advice, but for obvious reasons, he did not disclose this to Navez.9
In later correspondence of his pupils to Navez, a distinct pattern emerges. As the duration of their stay in Rome increased – and this applies to both the group of Robert, Portaels10 and Sturm, and the duo Coumont and Stallaert – communication with Navez decreased, along with requests for his assistance. This suggests that the students began to distance themselves from Brussels and their master, striving to forge their own artistic identities and find their way in the Eternal City.
23
Jean-Baptiste Van Eycken,
Abundance, 1848,
oil on panel, 88 x 119 cm,
Osborn House, Royal Collection Trust, inv. no. RCIN 408986
24
Jean-Baptiste Van Eycken,
Charity, 1849,
oil on panel, 35,6 x 40,4 cm,
Osborn House, Royal Collection Trust, inv. no. RCIN 403628
25
Joseph Stallaert,
Maternity,
oil on canvas, 124.5 x 95.9 cm,
Sale New York (Sotheby), 1993-02-17, 37
Notes
1 J.-B. Van Eycken to F.-J. Navez, Rome 11 February 1839, Manuscript Cabinet KBR, Ms. II 70/1/359, fol. 646r-647r.
2 Quetelet 1843.
3 Van Leeuwen 1985, p. 93.
4 Based on my correspondence analysis of the French letters from the students to their Neoclassic master painter François-Joseph Navez (1787-1869) during their travels to Italy, conducted in 2020.
5 M’rani Alaoui 2022, pp. 95-119.
6 ‘Comme je ne doute pas que vous fassiez partie de la commission, vous me rendriez un bien grand service en veullant à ce qu’il soit bien placé, car si mon tableau dont l’effet étant très calme puisque il reçoit une large lumière sur un fond également lumineux ne reçoit pas un jour franc, je suis perdu.’ A.N.N. Robert to F.-J. Navez, Rome 13 June 1845, Manuscript Cabinet KBR, Ms. II 70/1/186, fol. 339r-240r.
7 ‘il en malheureux que dans notre pays on ne comprenne pas un peu plus la peinture d’histoire un sujet un peu sérieux de crainte de n’être pas compris.’ J.F. Portaels to F.-J. Navez, Rome 13 October 1843, Manuscript Cabinet KBR, Ms. II 70/1/177, fol. 322r -323v.
8 ‘Je consacrerai ma vie entière à des efforts constants afin de montrer un jour aux ennemis de notre école tout ce dont votre patronage l’aura rendue capable.’ J.-B. Van Eycken to F.-J. Navez, Rome 11 February 1839, Manuscript Cabinet KBR, Ms. II 70/1/359, fol. 646r-647r.
9 ‘[…] among the great modern artists in Rome, such as Mr. Overbeck, […], Podesti, and others, great composers, fine draughtsmen, and perfect executors of fresco painting; receiving their advice and frequenting their studios will do me much good. Moreover, I have the pleasure of knowing them. My master was Mr. Morelli, painter to the Grand Duke of Tuscany, who was executing frescoes here in the Palazzo Torlonia.’ Quoted in Dupont 2005, p. 341; Ogonovszky-Steffens, p. 271. Both cite the letter from J.-F. Stallaert to the Antwerp Academy, Rome 20 June 1850 [ARB], 14084.
10 Depelchin 2012.