Comic Art Museum - Brussels

For George van Raemdonck, who was born in Antwerp in 1888, drawing was just a way of life and his means of expression. Besides being a comic strip artist, this Belgian artist was also a caricaturist, a book illustrator and painter, and used a whole host of media and techniques to depict his beliefs and his surroundings. To escape the war, he settled in the Netherlands and started work as a political caricaturist, reporting the latest news even in the darkest of hours. He gained fame there with a comic strip series entitled Bulletje en Bonestaak [Beanstalk and Gumdrop] based on a script written by A.M. de Jong, who was a much-loved friend and colleague. By his skilful hand, these two emblematic characters evolved over the course of numerous adventures in the far-flung corners of the world. Being a highly creative artist, he varied his layouts, changed the backgrounds and styles, and switched from a bright and simplified style of drawing to one that was more realistic and detailed. 

By retracing the steps of George van Raemdonck, the exhibition helps the general public to (re)discover the body of work of a pioneer of Belgian comic strip art and of a prolific and highly talented graphic artist, whose major series will be celebrating its centenary in 2022…

An exhibition organised by the Belgian Comic Strip Center 

With the Support of the Brussels-Capital Region