Les XX

Les XX was founded on 28 October 1883 in Brussels and held annual shows there between 1884 and 1893, usually in January–March. The group was founded by 11 artists who were unhappy with the conservative policies of both the official academic Salon and the internal bureaucracy of ''L'Essor, under a governing committee of twenty members. Unlike L'Essor'' ('Soaring'), which had also been set up in opposition to the Salon, Les XX had no president or governing committee. Instead Octave Maus (a lawyer who was also an art critic and journalist) acted as the secretary of Les XX, while other duties, including the organization of the annual exhibitions, were dispatched by a rotating committee of three members. A further nine artists were invited to join to bring the group membership of Les XX to twenty. In addition to the exhibits of its Belgian members, foreign artists were also invited to exhibit. There was a close tie between art, music and literature among the Les XX artists. During the exhibitions, there were literary lectures and discussions, and performances of new classical music, which from 1888 were organised by Vincent d'Indy, with from 1889 until the end in 1893 very frequent performances by the Quatuor Ysaÿe. Concerts included recently composed music by Claude Debussy, Ernest Chausson and Gabriel Fauré. Leading exponents of the Symbolist movement who gave lectures include Stéphane Mallarmé, Théodore de Wyzewa and Paul Verlaine. Together with Maus, the influential jurist Edmond Picard and the Belgian poet Emile Verhaeren provided the driving force behind an associated periodical, ''L'Art Moderne, which was started in 1881. This publication aggressively defended Les XX from attacks by critics and members of the visiting public. Picard polemically fomented tensions both with the artistic establishment and within Les XX. By 1887, six of the more conservative original members had left, sometimes under pressure from Picard and Maus, to be replaced by artists who were more sympathetic to the cause. Altogether, Les XX'' had 32 members during the ten years of its existence. ==Members of Les XX==

Founding members (11) • James Ensor 1860–1949 (member until 1893) • Jef Lambeaux • Guillaume Charlier • Henry De Groux • Robert Picard (artist) b. 1870 • Jan Toorop (Dutch) • Odilon Redon (French) • Paul Signac (French) ==The ten Annual Exhibitions of Les XX, 1884–1893==

The 1884, 1885 and 1886 exhibitions were held at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels. The later exhibitions were all held at the Museum of Modern Art of Brussels. Catulle Mendès discussed Richard Wagner. and Claude Monet, including ''Le pont d'Argenteuil and La Manneporte à Étretat''. First performance of César Franck's Violon Sonata. 1887 Walter Sickert, Camille Pissarro, Berthe Morisot and Georges-Pierre Seurat exhibit, with Seurat and Signac present at the opening. The major work shown is Seurat's A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. In July, Les XX had an exhibition in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. 1888 Exhibits of Albert Dubois-Pillet, Alfred Sisley, Paul Gauguin and Vincent van Gogh. Three concerts were given, with the first centered on Belgian composers like Auguste Dupont, Léon Soubre, Joseph Jacob, Paul Gilson and Gustave Huberti. Other composers whose work was performed were Fauré, Franck, Bréville, Bordes, Chausson, Albéric Magnard and Paul Vidal. and three vases and a statue by Paul Gauguin. Retrospective for Vincent van Gogh. Catalogue cover designed by Georges Lemmen. Memorial concert for César Franck and a second concert with new work by Vincent d'Indy, and Mary Cassatt. Three concert evenings were organised. The first concert presented the first version of Paul Gilson's La Mer, Guillaume Lekeu's Andromède and music by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Alexander Glazunov, and Franz Servais. The second showcased music by Alexis de Castillon, César Franck, Charles Bordes, Louis de Serres and Emmanuel Chabrier. The final concert included the first performance of Vincent d'Indy's Suite in D and Ernest Chausson's Concert. The other music played was composed by Gabriel Fauré, Charles Bordes, Camille Chevillard and Albéric Magnard. 1893 More design was exhibited, including a table by Alfred William Finch, embroidery by Henry Van de Velde, and objects by Alexandre Charpentier. Paul Verlaine discussed the contemporary poetry. The first concert was centered on work by César Franck and the first performance of Ernest Chausson's ''Poème de l'amour et la mer'' The second concert contained works by d'Indy, Castillon, Fauré, Chabrier and Bréville. The third and final concert featured the première of Guillaume Lekeu's Violin Sonata, with also performances of compositions by Charles Smulders, Paul Gilson, Dorsan van Reysschoot and Alexis de Castillon. ==Notes==