Queer Belgian Art 1400-1950

From Rubens to Rops and Ensor alongside lesser-known artists, this catalog traces five centuries of same-gender intimacy, gender fluidity, hidden codes and untold queer stories in Belgian art history.

Queer Belgian Art 1400–1950, the catalog of the namesake exhibition at Ghent's Museum of Fine Art, is the first book to intensely explore art from the Southern Netherlands and Belgium through an LGBTQIA+ lens. Drawing on four years of research, the exhibition brings together 150 works from over 50 collections, spanning painters like Rubens, Rops, and Ensor alongside lesser-known or unjustly forgotten figures. Through a variety of themed chapters and artist profiles, the catalog traces five centuries of same-gender intimacy, gender fluidity, hidden codes and the many untold queer stories in Belgian art history. Created largely by members of the queer community and aimed at a wide audience, the book offers a nuanced, open-minded look at the past without imposing modern labels. It invites readers to discover surprising new perspectives on art they either thought they knew or never even realized existed.