Meet the collection: 'Body Language'

Meet the collection

Body Language

How do context and our cultural background influence our perception of images? How do we interpret movements and getures and does that interpretation correspond with the intention of the artist? M browsed through its collection in search of old and contemporary artworks which focus on the human body and its language. The presentation called 'Body Language' was the result. That exhibition is no longer on show now, but we would like to take you on a tour along some of our favourites.

Jan-Hendrik Cuypers ‘Slave’, 1885

It is not only the hefty 577 kilograms that make this voluptuous beauty a heavyweight in the exhibition. The ‘Slave’ is a textbook example of the traditional male perspective on women and their bodies in 19th-century art. Cuypers made the marble statue as a commission from the City of Leuven after his plaster model received positive reactions at the Brussels Salon in 1881. Traces of the sculptor’s tools are still visible on the woman’s sensual thighs.

'Slavin', Jan-Hendrik Cuypers, 1885, M Leuven, foto: Dominique Provost voor meemoo. Art in Flanders

Guy Mees, ‘Level Differences’, 1974

Guy Mees (1935-2003) was one of the most important Belgian artists of the 20th century. His work was often abstract. In addition to super 8-film, collages and sculptural installations, he also took photographs. In his ‘Portraits’ and ‘Level Differences’, photo series created in the 1970s and 1980s, he humorously plays with time and human relationships.

‘Niveauverschillen’, Guy Mees, 1974, Cera-collectie bij M Leuven, foto: © Dirk Pauwels voor M Leuven

Ria Pacquée ‘Resting’, 2008

Ria Pacquée (°1954) researches the concept of identity and its norms and values in our society through performance, photography and video. She often assumes the role of an outsider and directs herself or other people in her immediate surroundings. The photo series ‘Resting’ (4 photos) shows people lying down on Indian streets. The context and thus also the exact situation remain unclear. Who are these people and why are they lying down? And why here precisely?

Valérie Mannaerts, ‘Orlando (Legs)’, 2013

Valérie Mannaerts (°1974) studies the tension and interplay between organic bodies and artificial objects. With a nod to surrealism, she blends a wide variety of media and materials into collages and installations. ‘Orlando (Legs)’ shows a lively tangle of arms and legs balancing on a chair. Where do the body parts end and the wooden chair begin?

Jeanne-Louise Milde, Bacchante, 1928

A snapshot of a whirling movement: that is how our brain interprets this ‘Bacchante’. But appearances can be deceiving. Jeanne-Louise Milde combines several dance moments: the most energetic position of the legs, the most elegant shaping of the torso, the widest swing of the arms. She thus creates an appealing idealized image. The talented Milde – who in 1918 was the only woman permitted to study sculpture at the Brussels Academy – later became an important innovator of both art and art education in Brazil.

Hans Op de Beeck, film still from ‘Coffee’, 1999

Hans Op de Beeck (°1969) is a multimedia artist. His works fluctuate between reality and fiction, familiarity and astonishment, staging and coincidence. How do we relate to our surroundings and to one another? In ‘Coffee’, we see a man and a woman silently drinking coffee in a canteen. Who are they and what is their relationship? Look carefully and you might find some answers in their body language ...

Hans Op de Beeck, filmstill uit ‘Coffee’, 1999, M Leuven © Hans Op de Beeck & Argos

Jean Baptiste Madou, ‘The Conversation’, 1874

First impressions are sometimes misleading: is #metoo or #girlpower more appropriate for this painting? The historical setting and body language of the figures appear contradictory and continue to be debated today. With the support of the M-Life Fund and partner Delen Private Bank, this and many other artworks underwent thorough conservation treatments for the exhibition. This included, among other things, the removal of yellowed layers of varnish and the restoration of the historic frame. As a result, the little painting looks just as fresh as it did 146 years ago.

Jean Baptiste Madou, ‘Het gesprek’, 1874, M Leuven, foto: Dominique Provost voor meemoo. Art in Flanders

Walter Swennen, ‘Noeud Papillon’, 1999

Walter Swennen (°1946) uses humour and free association to reduce painting to its essence, without seeking to emphasize any underlying meaning. Swennen used to be a poet and language is very significant in his oeuvre. He often refers directly to our visual culture and everyday surroundings. His ‘Noeud Papillon’ shows a cheerful red bowtie. In the background we see a figure – a man, a skeleton, a joke?

George Minne, ‘The Prodigal Son’, 1896

Two naked young people entwined in an intimate embrace. This is quite unusual for a late 19th-century depiction of a biblical scene. But perhaps it was the pious title that enabled the sculptor to cross social boundaries.

George Minne, ‘De Verloren Zoon’, 1896, M Leuven, foto: Dominique Provost voor meemoo. Art in Flanders

‘The Martyrdom of Saint Quentin’, Southern Low Countries, 1537

Saint Quentin maintains a steely composure despite the fact that spikes have been driven under his fingernails and toenails and the two executioners are hammering two stakes into his torso. His eyes – looking up to heaven – betray the origin of his power to undergo this horrific torture. Eye contact and body language help us to understand ancient and inspiring tableaux. Just like Quentin himself, this 16th-century painting had an eventful history. It was bought in Brussels by Nazi art dealers from a Jewish antiques dealer, and in 1945, it was saved from destruction in the German city of Berchtesgaden by Monuments Men.

‘De marteling van de heilige Kwinten’, Zuidelijke Nederlanden, 1537, M Leuven, foto: Dominique Provost voor meemoo. Art in Flanders

Curators: Lore Boon & Ko Goubert

A number of the paintings and sculptures in the exhibition underwent conservation treatments in specialized studios. M thanks Delen Private Bank, Cera, the King Baudouin Foundation and the M Team for making this possible.

Discover more about the exhibition ‘The Language of the Body’