14 Facts About Fernand Khnopff

Fernand Edmond Jean Marie Khnopff was a Belgian symbolist painter.

Fernand Khnopff was born to a wealthy family that was part of the high bourgeoisie for generations.

Fernand Khnopff left University due to a lack of interest in his law studies and began to frequent the studio of Xavier Mellery, who made him familiar with the art of painting.

Between 1877 and 1880, Fernand Khnopff made several trips to Paris where he discovered the work of Delacroix, Ingres, Moreau and Stevens.

In 1883, Fernand Khnopff was one of the founding members of the group Le Groupe des XX.

Fernand Khnopff exhibited regularly at the annual "Salon" organised by Les XX.

Fernand Khnopff accepted this commission but destroyed the work later because the famous soprano Rose Caron was offended by the imaginary portrait of Leonora d'Este that Fernand Khnopff had designed to adorn the cover and in which Caron thought to recognise her own face.

Fernand Khnopff continued to design illustrations for the works of Peladan, most notably for Femmes honnetes and Le Panthee.

On several occasions Fernand Khnopff was invited as guest of honour on the exhibitions of the Parisian "Salon de la Rose + Croix" organised by Peladan.

In 1889, Fernand Khnopff laid his first contacts with England, where he would stay and exhibit regularly in the future.

From 1895 Fernand Khnopff worked as a correspondent for the British art journal The Studio.

Until the outbreak of World War I in 1914 Fernand Khnopff would be responsible for the rubric "Studio-Talks-Brussels" in which he reported about the artistic evolutions in Belgium and continental Europe.

In March 1898 Fernand Khnopff presented a selection of 21 works on the first exhibition of the Vienna Secession.

From 1900 onwards, Fernand Khnopff was engaged in the design of his new home and studio in Brussels.