PRESS KIT - Palais des Beaux Arts de Lille

Lucas van Valkenborg
Landscape with Mines
Paris, Nederlands Intituut Fondation Custodia, Institut néerlandais/ D.R.
In the middle of nature and a framework of harmonious elements, the cosmological
dimension deals with the resemblance between the human and the divine. With the
contribution of traditional myths, both profane and sacred, abundance in all domains is
noticeable. Breughel and Paul Bril created visionary landscapes, using the inversion
method appreciated by Flemish mannerists. Marvellous landscapes, often with religious
themes, offer a whole different range of feelings. They are not as close to daily life, more
elliptical, but just as fascinating to the spectator. The religious scenes are submerged in
panoramic landscapes full of realistic details, which reflect the diversity in the divine
creation of the world. Joachim Patinir constructed his works with naturalism in the
details, as well as with strange forms seemingly cut-out, such as rocks, which served to
give lengthwise structure to the paintings’ space.
These rocky arch elements are directly involved in a heavenly cosmology, where access
is very laborious. Even the figure of the saint was also confronted by the efforts to be
endured, and the time needed to make the spiritual ascension. This became a model for
the staunch believer.
In these paintings spatial distance and variety were mixed together creating a gradual
cosmic aesthetic, in which successive breakthroughs resulted in the panoramic
representations of a painter like Joos de Momper.
CONCLUSION
The reversal of proportions between nature and figures, between the sacred and the profane in
these landscapes drawn from Flemish mannerism, has definitely put nature in the heart of the
spiritual road. Created as vast compositions, the paintings in the exhibition “Flemish Landscape
Fables in the 16 th Century,” organized by the Lille Palais des Beaux-Arts Museum, reproduce at
a microcosmic scale the never ceasing work of world forces. In this, the act of painting
participates in the act of creating, by its principle of variety and perpetual transformation. The
subject of this exhibition, beyond an artistic opportunity, is proving to be essential in
understanding the world around us.
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