In the autumn of 2026, the Museum of Fine Arts Ghent (MSK) will shine the spotlight on Jenny Montigny (1875-1937), more than a century after her first retrospective. The MSK will bring together a wide selection of her work, with pieces from the museum's own collection as well as loans from numerous public and private collections. Together they highlight not only her independence, but also the artistic quality of her work as a painter, pastelist, draughtswoman and etcher.
In the first decades of the 20th century, Ghent born artist Jenny Montigny developed a remarkable artistic career, both in Belgium and abroad. Today, she is best known as one of the most talented and beloved pupils of Emile Claus. Her encounter with his painting Ijsvogels (The Skaters) in 1892, during a visit to the MSK, left a deep impression. Yet soon Montigny managed to emerge from his shadow and steer her own artistic course.
In 1904, she joins the artists' circle “Vie et Lumière” (Life and Light) and settles in Deurle, near Sint-Martens-Latem. There, she develops a highly original and individual body of work. Her depictions of the local school and sunlit playground are unparalleled.
Equally characteristic is her approach to outdoor life and rural existence along the River Lys, her fascination with interiors and portraits, and her sensitive depiction of themes such as motherhood and childhood.
During World War I, Montigny lives in London, where she observes not only society life in and around the famous parks, but also the wounded Belgian soldiers being tended to there. She captures these experiences in an intriguing series of drawings and etchings. The Cercle Artistique et Littéraire of her hometown Ghent organised her first retrospective in 2022. Now, over 100 years later, the MSK is finally giving her the proper attention she deserves.
