George Minne
Belgian, 1866-1941
BiographyThe leading Belgian sculptor of the early twentieth century, George Minne was born in Ghent and studied at that city's Academy, first in architecture, then sculpture and painting. Through the poet Maurice Maeterlinck (1862–1949), whose volume Serres chaudes Minne illustrated in 1886, Minne was introduced to the works of Symbolist writers and artists, whose work rejected realism in favor of darker, more mysterious representations. Minne became involved with the avant-garde community in Brussels where he first developed his sculpture of a kneeling boy, a theme he repeated many times, with variations, over the course of his career. Minne's work bridges the Naturalism of French sculptor Auguste Rodin (1840–1917), Symbolism, and Expressionism, and exemplifies the internationalism of Art Nouveau. He exhibited in Paris, Germany, and particularly Vienna, but following World War I, Minne turned to a more decorative style that was much appreciated in his native Belgium.
Person TypeIndividual
French, born in Lithuania and active in U.S.A., 1891 - 1973
