21/02/2025 - 15/06/2025

In Museum Catharijneconvent, you can enjoy the modernist masterpieces from the interwar period. Through impressive works by, among others, Wassily Kandinsky, Charley Toorop, and Max Beckmann, you will discover how artists in the 1920s and 1930s sought renewal and meaning: a quest that forever changed modern art. Between Heaven and War brings together the highlights of European avant-garde art from 1918-1939 in a colorful exhibition.

Five works from the collection of The Phoebus Foundation complete Between Heaven and Earth. The names we have added to this diverse collection are Gustave Van de Woestyne, Albert Servaes, Frits Van den Berghe, and Valerius De Saedeleer.

Gustave Van de Woestyne, Farmer’s Wife, 1926

After the First World War, the world remains in ruins. The social unrest has a direct impact on the visual arts. In search of new values and modernization, artists and designers experiment with styles and movements. They are convinced that art can form the foundation for a new world and different ways of living together.

Valerius De Saedeleer, Pear Tree, ca. 1926
Frits Van den Berghe, Birth/Creation, 1926

Their artistic quest translates into swirling canvases full of emotion, color, and deeper layers. Immerse yourself in these inspiring, moving artworks and discover the significant role that religion and spirituality play in them.