Wow Look at this incredible mural! This is Le Secret de l’Espadon. It’s a stunning piece of art isn’t it?
Le Secret de l’Espadon is one of almost 60 comic strip murals in Brussels. It’s part of a project that started in the early 1990s. The city wanted to improve the look of some buildings. The Comic Strip Museum commissioned an artist to create a mural. The idea was a huge success. The murals are cleverly integrated into the city’s architecture.
This particular mural. Le Secret de l’Espadon depicts Blake and Mortimer. They are iconic Belgian comic book characters. The mural celebrates their 75th anniversary. The original artwork is called Le Secret de l’Espadon. It’s also known as The Secret of the Swordfish. This incredible adventure was published between 1946 and 1949. It’s more than 140 pages of action and intrigue. It was a precursor to the modern graphic novel.
This specific mural by Johan De Moor. He unveiled it on December 12 2008. It’s a fresco. It was originally located in front of the Gare du Midi train station. It was even designed to be seen by people arriving by train. That’s a pretty clever idea right? It has since moved to its present location. You can find it above the entrance to the Fonsny side south corridor. The story behind the mural’s relocation shows the ever evolving nature of public art in Brussels. It’s moved twice because of building demolitions. Hopefully it will stay put for many years to come.
So here we are standing before Le Secret de l’Espadon. We’ve learned a little about its history. We’ve also discovered some fun facts. We hope you appreciate this impressive piece of art as much as we do. Remember this moment. This is one of the many treasures of Brussels.