The Future is More

 't Zand, pre-demolition
 

I had to go to the Oogkliniek, the Eye Clinic, last Monday for an annual check-up and was desolated to see heavy equipment and workmen busy dismantling 't Zand. All the trees have gone, work is beginning on dismantling the majestic fountain and, with the looks of it, the bus shelters too. The Stadhuis has decided a make-over is needed and it causes one to wonder that they don't see the irony of imposing unnecessary destruction and renovation on a beautifully-preserved mediaeval town which, in late mediaeval times, became too poor to have unnecessary municipal demolition and renewal foisted upon it and so kept its original beauty. From discussions and overheard remarks, I doubt the sweeping changes are by popular request. It is not the first time that I have remarked to myself that the Civic Authority here simply has too much money available so spends some of it on these vanity projects. Why, the Burgemeester was asking for suggestions during the summer as to where

 Suggested 'Makeover'

to re-site the huge fountain group of bronze figures. Since beginning this blog and the above complaint, I have discovered that the planned cost of the new 't Zand is 9 million euros. Words almost fail me. 
 

Rant over and back to Art! Yesterday, for the first time I went to Leuven to visit M-Museum to catch the exhibition The Future is More. Sub-headed In Search of Utopia, it celebrates my historical hero, Sir Thomas More, and specifically, the publication of his amazingly influential masterpiece, Utopia, printed in Leuven in 1516. There were several volumes on view, a first edition from Leuven and third editions from Paris [1517]. Utopia is contained in an unexpectedly small volume but its mediaeval beauty shines out. The main room was devoted entirely to More through books, pamphlets, portraits, but there were several other rooms with tapestries, artefacts, astrolabes and globes, charts and a few sculptures which set the context of his known world for he was a much-travelled diplomat and regal representative.

 Frontispiece of Utopia with its map of the island
and the Utopian alphabet, designed by More's good
friend, Pieter Gillis.

 

More chose Leuven for the printing probably through his great friend, Erasmus of Rotterdam [1466-1536] who lived in Leuven at that time when he was Counsellor to Emperor Charles V. More and Erasmus had met in England in 1499 during their law studies and remained great friends until More's premature death in 1535. Leuven itself was an important centre of learning with its university founded in 1425 while Erasmus was working to found the Trilingual College, which opened in 1517 in Leuven, offering Hebrew, Latin and Greek. A prestigious place for More's Utopia to begin life. The printer, Dirk Maertens, had his business opposite the University Halls, and he and Erasmus enjoyed good relations. Undoubtedly Erasmus was also instrumental in the choice of printer for More's masterpiece. The exhibition describes it as a 'best seller'. The Leuven first edition in Latin was re-printed five times in the three years subsequent to its publication; by 1750 there had been over fifty re-prints and translations.

Famous portrait of Thomas More by
Hans Holbein the Younger
Copy in the Leuven exhibition is
borrowed from the collection of
Queen Elizabeth of Britain.

In the main exhibition room hung the famous Holbein portrait of Thomas; in fact, it is one of many copies as the original hangs in the Frick Museum in New York. The English Convent in Carmersstraat in Brugge, also has a copy brought there by Mary More, Thomas's eighth blood descendant, when she joined the Convent as a novice in the early 1750s. She was elected Prioress in 1766. Her family Holbein copy is considered one of the treasures of the English Convent.

Utopia heralded a new era in 15^th and 16^th century thought. More wrote the book in despair at the corruption and monarchical misrule in England during his life; he conjured up an imaginary island, Utopia, where joy and justice reigned. More's dream of an ideal world, outlined in the portrayal of his perfect island, included free education, democracy, euthanasia, married priests,
care for the elderly and equal opportunities for men and women. Five hundred years ago this remarkable philosopher and humanist imagined aspects of life which are highly relevant today.

FOOTNOTE

The name of More's good friend, Pieter Gillis, spelled originally in this blog as Peter Giles, was copied by me from the exhibition programme in the Anglicised way. An indignant Belgian friend originating from Antwerp, Gillis' birthplace too, sent me the correct version of Pieter's name. The historical novel, 'De verloren droom van Pieter Gillis' by Joris Tulkens, describes Gillis's friendship not only with More but also with Desiderius Erasmus, William Tyndale, Quinten Metsys, Albrecht Durer and Cornelius Grapheus, all great early 16th century humanists. Apologies for the gross error, Willy! Do hope the honour of Antwerp and its famous sons, is now restored.