10 Year Reign: New Busts

4 July 2023

To celebrate the 10 year reign of King Philippe, the Belgian Senate ordered a bust of the King and Queen to be placed in the Senate's Green Salon where the busts of the other royal couples have been placed since the 1930s.

King Philippe & Queen Mathilde unveiled the art works themselves. They were made by Hans Op de Beeck in grey polyester.

Both the King and Queen posed for half an hour for the artist who made photos and 3D scans of them. According to Op de Beeck he had an interesting talk with the King about art. Philippe wanted to be portrayed in his airforce uniform while Mathilde insited on sobriety, no jewellery apart from her engagement ring.

The final result is not only surprising because of the material and colour, but also because these aren't busts strictly speaking. The artist insisted on a larger portrayal of the couple, including arms and a part of the body. 

video: https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/kijk/2023/07/04/borstbeelden-mathilde-en-filip-arvato-58604592/

Le roi Philippe et la reine Mathilde sont venus ce mardi matin au Sénat pour inaugurer leurs bustes. Deux œuvres pour le moins étonnantes et qui tranchent avec la tradition des lieux. pic.twitter.com/X0F2BbYHrm

— LN24 (@LesNews24) July 4, 2023

Interview kunstenaar Hans Op de Beeck

"Koningin Mathilde wou geen opsmuk, heel sober, geen tiara, geen juwelen, zo sober mogelijk.
↔️
Koning Filip wou absoluut in uniform.

Het toont iets over hoe ze hun functie zien en hoe ze willen gerepresenteerd worden."#BelgaVideo pic.twitter.com/b0lSdx9Ymk

— Maarten Weynants (@MaartenWeynants) July 4, 2023