Rediscovered Belgian Modernist Germaine Rimbout Gets First Major Museum Show in Brussels
In Brussels, the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium is presenting the first significant exhibition dedicated to Germaine Rimbout (1894-1973), a Belgian modernist painter often neglected in art history. The exhibit, titled 'Germaine Rimbout – Poésie. Couleur. Mouvement,' will be open until October 18, 2026, in the Spilliaert room. It showcases approximately one hundred drawings sourced from both the museum and the Royal Library of Belgium. Rimbout, who drew inspiration from Eugène Chevreul, Japanese prints, and various artistic movements, expanded her artistic approach after meeting blind artist Cécile Douard in 1923. Following her mother's passing in 1943, she dedicated herself to art, cultivating a distinctive style influenced by sports and performance. Curator Sarah Van Ooteghem highlights Rimbout's importance in the realm of art history.
Key facts
- Exhibition 'Germaine Rimbout – Poésie. Couleur. Mouvement' at Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels.
- Runs until October 18, 2026, in the Spilliaert room (dedicated to works on paper since 2025).
- Features about 100 drawings from the museum and Royal Library of Belgium.
- Germaine Rimbout (1894-1973) studied at Académie des Beaux-Arts de Bruxelles.
- Influenced by Eugène Chevreul's color theories, Japanese prints, post-impressionism, fauvism, cubism.
- Met blind artist Cécile Douard in 1923; they traveled and worked together.
- After 1943, Rimbout devoted herself fully to art; exhibited at Galerie de la Toison d'Or, Brussels, and Galerie Julian, Paris.
- From the 1950s, focused on movement, sport, circus, mime, dance; inspired by Marcel Marceau and Cirque Medrano.
- Her later works are abstract but retain ties to observed reality.
- Curator Sarah Van Ooteghem co-commissaries the exhibition.
Entities
Artists
- Germaine Rimbout
- Cécile Douard
- Eugène Chevreul
- Marcel Marceau
Institutions
- Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
- Royal Library of Belgium
- Académie des Beaux-Arts de Bruxelles
- Galerie de la Toison d'Or
- Galerie Julian
- Galerie Au Cheval de Verre
- Cirque Medrano
- Ligue Braille
- Connaissance des Arts
Locations
- Brussels
- Belgium
- Paris
- France
- Montmartre
- Netherlands
- Greece
- rue de la Régence, 1000 Brussels