Emile Claus – MUDEL Museum, Belgium

In 2024 it will be 100 years since Emile Claus (1849-1924) – the most important impressionist of our country – passed away. It is also a double anniversary, because he was also born 175 years ago. Emile Claus already enjoyed great fame in his time as ‘Master of Astene’ or ‘Prince of Luminism’. With the key work “Bietenoogst” and many other works from his oeuvre, Emile Claus is inextricably linked to the museum’s collection and to the Leie region.

The city of Deinze and the Mudel Museum of Deinze and the Leie Region have therefore declared 2024 as Claus Year.

Emile Claus was born in 1849 in Sint-Eloois-Vijve, and after his marriage in 1886 to Charlotte Dufaux he settled permanently in Astene, now a sub-municipality of Deinze. His most famous work “Bietenoogst”, painted a stone’s throw from his home, was donated to the city of Deinze by his widow in 1942, and was the direct reason to set up a municipal museum in the so-called Saveryspand. In the current museum building it hangs as a showpiece in the room of the same name, and the painting has been included on the Topstukkenlijst of the Flemish Community for quite some time. A total of 20 paintings by Claus and more than 100 drawings by him are preserved in the museum.

Throughout 2024, various activities will be organised in the city that will put Emile Claus in the spotlight as our country’s most important impressionist. These include an exclusive Valentine’s dinner, cycling and walking routes, the issuance of an official series of stamps, day packages and, as a grand finale, the exhibition “Emile Claus. Prince of Luminism” that will open on 27 September 2024, not coincidentally the artist’s date of birth. The prestigious exhibition will bring together dozens of the artist’s top works. The most beautiful paintings from all periods of his oeuvre will be shown, thanks in part to the exceptional collaboration of the Museum of Fine Arts of Ghent and via important loans from various public and private collections.