#hearmespeak! Belgian artists and Hokusai manga

It is a tale as old as time... an illustrated book sparks an artistic revolution — not so long ago and not so far away...

The book in question is Hokusai manga — full title Denshin kaishu Hokusai manga or Initiation to Transmitting the Essence of Things: Brushstroke Drawings by Hokusai — whose influence on Western artists is well-recorded and documented.

Belgian artists were no exception! As part of the conference-lunches accompanying the exposition Japoniaiseries. Fantaisies japonaises au temps de Félicien Rops (Musée Félicien Rops, Namur), I will trace how Belgian artists such as Félicien Rops, Alfred Stevens, and James Ensor engaged with Hokusai Manga, revealing a fascinating story of global artistic exchange that transformed Belgian art at a pivotal moment in art history and cultural exchange.

Talk details

• date: Friday January 16, 2026

• time: 11h30~

• location: Félicien Rops Museum, Namur

• more information: https://www.museerops.be/index.php?rub=evenement&id=483&mois=1&annee=2026