Jef Lambeaux Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Jef Lambeaux
Lambeaux, c. 1892
Born	Joseph Lambeaux (1852-01-14)14 January 1852 Antwerp, Belgium
Died	5 June 1908(1908-06-05) (aged 56) Brussels, Belgium
Nationality	Belgian
Education	Studied under Jean Geefs
Known for	Sculpture
Notable work	Temple of Human Passions

Jef Lambeaux (born Joseph Lambeaux) was a famous Belgian sculptor. He was born on January 14, 1852, and passed away on June 5, 1908. He is best known for his huge marble artwork called Temple of Human Passions. This piece is a type of sculpture known as a bas-relief, which means the figures are carved so they stick out slightly from a flat background.

Early Life and Art School
Jef Lambeaux's Art Career
Famous Sculptures and Works
- The Temple of Human Passions
Later Life and Death
Jef Lambeaux Museum
Gallery
See also

Early Life and Art School

Jef Lambeaux was born in Antwerp, Belgium. When he was young, he studied art at the Antwerp Academy of Fine Arts. There, he learned from a teacher named Jean Geefs.

Jef was part of a group of young artists called the "Van Beers clique." This group was led by another artist named Jan van Beers. Other artists in the group included Piet Verhaert and Alexander Struys. They were known for being playful and a bit unusual. For example, they sometimes walked around Antwerp dressed in old-fashioned costumes!

Jef Lambeaux's Art Career

Jef Lambeaux showed his first artwork, called War, in 1871. After that, he created many funny and lively sculptures. Some of these early works include Children Dancing, Say Good Morning, The Lucky Number, and An Accident (made in 1875).

Later, Jef moved to Paris, France. While there, he created sculptures like The Beggar and The Blini Pauper for art shows in Belgium. He also made a sculpture called The Kiss in 1881, which many people consider his most famous work. A talented artist named Claire Colinet was one of his students in Paris. She later became very successful during the Art Deco period.

After visiting Italy, Jef was very impressed by the sculptures he saw there, especially those by Jean Boulogne. This trip made him want to create art that showed lots of power and movement.

Famous Sculptures and Works

Jef Lambeaux created many other important sculptures:

The Brabo fountain in Antwerp (1886).
Robbing the Eagles Eyrie (1890).
Drunkenness (1893).
The Triumph of Woman.
The Bitten Faun, which caused a lot of discussion at a big art show in Liège in 1905.
The Human Passions, a giant marble bas-relief. He first showed a sketch of this huge artwork in 1889.

He also made many sculptures of people's heads and shoulders, called busts. Two famous busts he created were of Hendrik Conscience and Charles Buls, who was the mayor of Brussels.

The Temple of Human Passions

The Temple of Human Passions is one of Jef Lambeaux's most well-known works. It's a very large marble sculpture that shows many human emotions and experiences. When he first showed a life-sized model of this artwork in 1889, it caused a lot of discussion among art critics.

Later Life and Death

Jef Lambeaux received an important award in 1887: he was made a Knight in the Order of Leopold. This is a special honor in Belgium.

Jef Lambeaux passed away in Brussels, Belgium, on June 5, 1908.

Jef Lambeaux Museum

In 2006, a group was formed called "ASBL Musée Jef Lambeaux." Their goal is to create a museum dedicated to Jef Lambeaux's art in Saint-Gilles, Belgium. The town of Saint-Gilles had actually promised to build this museum way back in 1898, but it was never built. The group is working to make this museum a reality so more people can enjoy his sculptures.