Culture

Record sale for one major work by Magritte

10 March 2022

The buyer had to pay the record sum of 61 million euros to become the lucky owner of L'empire des lumières (The Empire of Light), a work by René Magritte put up for sale by Sotheby's and est

Belgian excavations at El Kab, the city of the vulture goddess

17 February 2022

The present-day city of El Kab is located on the eastern bank of the Nile, about 80 kilometres south of Luxor.

The Belgians at the César Awards

15 February 2022

Once again this year, the billing for the Césars is studded with Belgian film stars.

Wandel wins awards for her film about school bullying

15 February 2022

"Un monde" (Playground), the first feature film by Belgian filmmaker Laura Wandel, has won seven awards at the 2022 Magritte ceremony.

What is your favourite Belgian actor or film?

10 February 2022

Belgian cinema has its own style. Whether French- or Flemish-language, it is possible to recognise the sometimes surreal little 'local touch'.

A country of legends and thrills

The constant contact with other peoples and cultures hasn't been without its effects in terms of art and culture, both in the past and the present day. A true crossroads of the major influences of art, Belgium has always been home to a large number of artists and frequently establishes itself as the place for innovation for new movements.

Belgium has preserved much evidence of the greatest architectural and artistic movements. The Middle Ages saw cathedrals and belfries spring up, monuments that still grace the Belgian cities of art. Countless châteaux pepper the countryside and Belgium is the country with the most châteaux per km². As for Brussels, in the 20th century, it became the capital of Art Nouveau. All this explains the country's incredible architectural wealth.

The splendid works of the old Flemish painters such as Peter Paul Rubens, Pieter Bruegel, Jan Van Eyck, Antoine Van Dyck, along with more recent artists like Paul Delvaux or René Magritte, are now exhibited in museums all over the world.

The ultimate hub for comics, Belgium is home to the largest concentration of comic book authors in the world. They continue the tradition of Hergé (Tintin), Peyo (Les Schtroumpfs), Edgar P. Jacobs (Blake et Mortimer), Morris (Lucky Luke), Bob De Moor (Barelli, Cori de scheepsjongen), Willy Vandersteen (Suske en Wiske) and many more!

Today, many Belgian talents are making a name for themselves. This is particularly the case on the international music scene with Angèle, Milow, Selah Sue and Hooverphonic. On the big screen, a new generation of directors and actors are frequently recognised with awards including the Palme d'Or at Cannes and the Oscars in Hollywood.

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