Jenny Montigny Retrospective at Ghent Museum of Fine Arts, 2026–2027
From 10 October 2026 to 10 January 2027, the Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent (MSK Gante) will present a retrospective dedicated to Belgian artist Jenny Montigny (Ghent, 1875 – Deurle, 1937). This exhibition, showcasing her artistic evolution over four decades, emphasizes themes of light, color, and the human figure. It will include pieces borrowed from private collections and outline her life journey from her childhood in Ghent to rural settings, wartime London, and her eventual return to Belgium. Montigny, who studied under Émile Claus starting in 1894, made her debut at the Ghent Salon in 1902. Between 1914 and 1919, she resided in Chelsea, producing etchings of soldiers, alongside floral still lifes and works by fellow artists.
Key facts
- Retrospective runs 10 October 2026 to 10 January 2027 at the Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent
- Jenny Montigny lived 1875–1937, born in Ghent and died in Deurle
- She trained with Émile Claus at Astene from 1894, aged eighteen
- Her debut came at the Ghent Salon in 1902, followed by shows in Brussels, Paris, Venice and Cairo
- She built Villa Rustoord in Deurle in 1904 and later sold it for economic reasons
- Her begonia-watering canvas shown at the 1913 Ghent World's Fair was bought almost immediately by the museum
- She lived in Chelsea, London, from November 1914 to March 1919 and made etchings of soldiers at the King Albert's Hospitals
- Most works in the exhibition come from private collections
Entities
Artists
- Jenny Montigny
- Émile Claus
- Anna De Weert
- Yvonne Serruys
- Louis Montigny
- Nancy Mair
- Zoë Bekaert-Ketels
- Georges Bekaert-Ketels
- Yvonne Montigny
Institutions
- Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent
- MSK Gante
- Ghent Salon
- Ghent World's Fair
- King Albert's Hospitals
- Saint-Joseph school
- Het Kunstuur
- Collection de la Communauté flamande
- masdearte
- Museum of Fine Arts Ghent
- MSK
- Musée des Beaux-Arts de Gand
- Arts in the City
Locations
- Ghent
- Belgium
- Deurle
- Astene
- Deinze
- Lys river
- Brussels
- Paris
- France
- Venice
- Italy
- Cairo
- Egypt
- London
- United Kingdom
- Chelsea
- Knokke-Heist
- Hyde Park
- Kensington Gardens
- Battersea Park
- Dorpsstraat
- Fernand Scribedreef
- Gent
- River Lys
- Gand