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Fernand Khnopff

Born: Termonde, 12 September 1858
Died: Brussels, 12 November 1921
Nationality: Belgian
Background: 

wealthy family

Studies: 

with Xavier Mellery (1876-79, Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts, Brussels) with Jules Lefebvre and Gustave Boulanger (1879-79, Académie Julian,Paris)

Career: 

1876 - briefly studies law

1878 – attends the Exposition universelle in Paris; affiliated with Jeune Belgique (Young Belgium) literary movement

1881 – first exhibition, with L’Essor

1883 – founder-member of Les XX; begins illustrating books; exhibits at Paris Salon

1885 - meets Joséphin Péladan; later illustrates his books

1891 – begins exhibiting regularly in England due to friendship with painters G. F. Watts and Edward Burne-Jones; director of educational division of Brussels Maison du Peuple (House of the People, an institution associate with egalitarian - socialist - politics)

1892 - exhibits at Péladan's Salon Rose + Croix

1894 – Les XX dissolves; begins exhibiting with Munich Secession

1898 – exhibits at first Vienna Secession

1903 – designs sets for Georges Rodenbach's play The Mirage (Deutsches Theater, Berlin)

1904 – receives commission to decorate ceiling of marriage hall of the St Gilles city hall; designs panels for music room of Palais Stoclet 

1907 – member of the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts (Brussels). Member of Institut de France and recipient of Légion d’honneur

1910 – exhibits at the 4th Salon of L’Estampe (Brussels)

1911 – exhibits at Brussels Salon de Printemps

1912 – one-man show in Liège

Travels

Paris (sevaral trips 1877-80)

Important Artworks: 

Listening to Schumann, 1883 (Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Brussels)

Portrait of Marguerite Khnopff, 1887 (Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Brussels)

Memories, 1889 (drawing, Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Brussels)

Art/The Caresses, 1896 (Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Brussels)

The Abandoned City, 1904 (drawing, Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Brussels)