Ready to witness a gift of consolation cast in bronze? This is the story of the Bacchantes Vase Sculpture. It stands here on Avenue Louis Bertrand. This monumental vase has a tale of art, loss and civic pride.
The Bacchantes Vase Sculpture is also called Vase aux Bacchantes or Vase de la Folle Chanson. This bronze vase was created by sculptor Godefroid Devreese in 1907. The rose granite base was designed by architect Henri Jacobs.
Look closely. You will see a lively scene. The Bacchantes Vase Sculpture shows a procession of satyrs and bacchantes. They accompany Bacchus, the god of wine. Pan also joins in. He is the god with goat’s feet. He frolics with nymphs. He plays his syrinx.
Raoul Warocqué commissioned this artwork in 1906. He was a patron of the arts. He intended it for his park in Mariemont. Devreese and Warocqué exchanged many letters about the base. They decided on a complex design. It combined squares and octagons of rose granite from Italy.
The Bacchantes Vase Sculpture was completed in 1908. It was displayed at the Salon des Indépendants in Brussels.
Tragedy struck Schaerbeek in 1911. A criminal fire destroyed the town hall. Many artworks were lost. Warocqué offered the Bacchantes Vase Sculpture to Schaerbeek. It was to console the town for its loss.
The Bacchantes Vase Sculpture was inaugurated on December 28, 1911. It was placed on Avenue Louis Bertrand. This is the site of the former Saint-Servais church. The church was demolished in 1905.
Devreese later made a marble copy of the Bacchantes Vase Sculpture. It is still in Mariemont Park.
The Bacchantes Vase Sculpture here was restored in 2012. The Fonds pour le Patrimoine de Schaerbeek took the initiative. The Société Tein Telecom provided the funds.
Notice the inscriptions on the Bacchantes Vase Sculpture. “G. DEVREESE 07” marks the artist. “FONDERIE NAT. DES BRONZES / ANC. FIRME J. PETERMANN / ST GILLES BRUXELLES” indicates the foundry. “DON DE / GIFT VAN RAOUL WAROCQUÉ DÉPUTÉ” shows the donor.
The Bacchantes Vase Sculpture depicts young bacchantes. They are being seduced by satyrs. These satyrs have animal features like goat horns and hairy legs. They dance around Bacchus.
The Bacchantes Vase Sculpture stands as a symbol of resilience. It embodies art’s power to heal. It reminds us of a community’s spirit. It commemorates a patron’s generosity.