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In March, Liège honours one of its most famous sons when the Curtius Museum finally re-opens, as Adrian Mourby discovers
When Liège’s Curtius Museum re-opens in March, after its 10-year refurbishment, all eyes will be on a major retrospective of the work of Paul Delvaux. Delvaux was born in the Belgian province of Liège in 1897. An early fascination with trams and trains bled into his work, especially into his disturbing images of naked women wandering around railway stations and shopping arcades.
Even although the bowler-hatted men who crop up in Delvaux’s later work betray the influence of Magritte in the 30s, he considered himself more Expressionist than Surrealist.
Delvaux eventually became director of the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels and died in 1994, a couple of months before his 97th birthday.
The Musée Curtius is a highly distinctive red-brick building on the banks of the River Meuse. The original structure was erected between 1600 and 1610 for Jean Curtius, who made his fortune supplying munitions to the Spanish, who were fighting Protestantism in the Low Countries. The building is considered a masterpiece of Mosan (relating to the river Meuse) Renaissance architecture.
The museum contains artefacts from Leodium (the Roman name for Liège) and everyday objects from the 5th century, when the Merovingian kings ruled this area. Two prized items are a Book of the Gospels attributed to Bishop Notker, dating from the early 11th century, and a 12th-century stone Madonna. Also contained in the palace of Jean Curtius is the Musée du Verre, which displays 9,000 items charting the history of European glass.
The Quai de Maestricht, on which the museum stands, is part of a large, graceful curve in the Meuse, and this port built the wealth of Liège.
Although spoiled by some insensitive rebuilding after World War II, there is much of interest along the quayside. And the re-opening of the Curtius will attract more people to this part of the city and its famous Sunday market.
Don’t miss
Paul Delvaux aside, Liège has a lot to off er the cultural tourist…
St Barthélemy
Place St Barthélemy, tel. , www.st-barthelemy.be
The striking red and white church of St Barthélémy houses a 12th-century baptismal font made of brass. Both the church and its chapterhouse are considered fine examples of Mosan Romanesque style
St Paul’s Cathedral (pictured)
Place Cathédrale, tel. , www.cathedraledeliege.be (under construction)
St Paul’s has a surprise behind its pulpit, a 16th-century sculpture of Lucifer so impressive that Satanists are said to worship at its feet. The 90m tower holds a carillon that plays the Walloon hymn, Chant dés Wallons.
Outremeuse
The land across the river (literally ”beyond the Meuse”) was the leafy home of Georges Simenon, creator of Inspector Maigret, who set many of his novels here. There is an excellent flea market held every Friday along Boulevard St Pholien.
Museé de la Vie Wallonne (Wallonian Life Museum)
Cour des Mineurs, tel. www.viewallonne.be
People who live in Wallonia are known as Walloons and they are proud of their French-speaking culture. This museum contains art and historic domestic artefacts that illuminate Wallonian life.
Workshops are given in basket weaving, candlestick making and glass blowing.
Marché de la Batte
Batte is Wallonian for quay, and for 1.5km along the banks of the Meuse this popular Sunday market sells clothes, curios, fruit, vegetables, cheese, fish – even cats, dogs and birds. You can also buy chips, churros (Spanish doughnuts) and sausage sandwiches.
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