Jules Jourdain, Sculpted memories

At the State Archives in Namur. An event organized by the Tour d'Anhaive in partnership with the Société archéologique de Namur.

5 years ago, descendants of Jules Jourdain turned to the Société archéologique to organize, in collaboration with the Tour d'Anhaive, an exhibition dedicated to their grandfather, a sculptor-medallist originally from Namur.

Indeed, Jules Jourdain was born in Namur in 1873 into a prominent family of lawyers and craftsmen who had been established in the town for at least 7 generations. After primary school in Namur, and secondary school in Brussels following his parents' move, Jules Jourdain successfully pursued law studies at the University of Louvain. Without vocation, because Jules Jourdain had cultivated a passion for art since childhood. Supported by his parents, he began drawing and modeling at an early age. Parallel to his law studies, he attended art classes before continuing his training at the Académie des Beaux-Arts de Bruxelles, with a major in sculpture, from 1899. 

Influenced by the realism taught by his teachers Charles Vanderstappen and Julien Dillens, as well as his neighbor Thomas Vinçotte, Jules Jourdain observed, captured and sensitively transcribed the shapes and movements of his models. His solid education and rich general culture also inspired him in his artistic career, which he combined as best he could with his family life.