In 2021, Namur pays homage to Franz Kegeljan, a painter from Namur who died 100 years ago, after bequeathing an important part of his work to his hometown, that in which he endeavoured to evoke Namur in the past.
He carried out this work between the very end of the 19th century and 1920, for the purpose of remembrance, having himself witnessed the demolition of the last urban fortifications, witnesses of the rich history of the city. Based on the knowledge and archaeological discoveries of his time as well as on historical and iconographic sources, he reconstructs what could or could have been the city at different periods.
And the unknown is not an obstacle! In order to make his paintings immersive, he will imagine it on the basis of a credible historical foundation. This is why we will speak more of evocation than of reconstitution.
This event, called “Kegeljan 2.1”, puts the artist in the spotlight through temporary exhibitions but also permanent actions. The work of Kegeljan in the municipal collections of Namur has been completely digitized and is accessible to all from September 2021 on the website of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation « numeriques.be».
A digital tour, designed by the Culture Department of the City of Namur, invites you to go through the places drawn or painted by the artist as part of his evocation of “Namur in the past”.
Follow in the footsteps of the painter, each point of view will allow you to compare a painting with the landscape of today, what remains of this past, and will deliver a small piece of the history of the city or information on the artist in comment.
Each stop works independently of the others: no imposed direction of visit, no obligatory passage!
And for those interested in learning more about the history of the city, head to the Terra Nova Visitor Centre at the Citadel.
Pôle muséal Les Bateliers, Rue Joseph Saintraint, Namur, Belgique
