The Government of the Brussels-Capital Region has said it wants to remove stately monument “De Rijpheid” (The Maturity) because it “no longer aligns with the values of modern times”.
According to the local city administration, the group of figures represented a “patriarchal” and “paternalistic” vision of society because it depicted a male as a symbol of wisdom and a woman as a symbol of fertility.
The decision in mid-December to remove the statue has faced opposition from the Professional Union of Guides and Cultural Mediators of Belgium, which has launched a petition to keep the sculpture in place.
The group stressed that the monument was part of Brussels’ heritage and was significant for tourism in the city.
Removing The Maturity would adversely affect guided tours and the image of Brussels as a “city with a rich artistic heritage”, the union said.
It emphasised that the sculpture had never previously sparked controversy among Belgians or international visitors.
“This work is of great artistic value – [late artist Victor] Rousseau is a recognised artist of young Belgium,” union member Thomas Sennesael told local outlet Bruzz on January 23.
“I believe we should remain proud of Belgium, a country that rose from an uncertain state to a fully recognised nation of central importance, with innovative artistic scenes acknowledged at the European level, of which this monument is a testament.”
A spokesperson for the Brussels State Secretary of Heritage told Brussels Signal on January 24 that the entire area, including buildings and infrastructure, was being redeveloped.
The spokesperson added that the square and its surroundings were being reimagined, with an emphasis on accessibility and more “green” elements.
That project was being undertaken by a landscape architect who won a contest to do so. In his plans, there was not room for the statue.
The spokesperson noted that Brussels’ Commission for Monuments and Landscapes wanted to have it classified and the said the government aimed to initiate the procedure to place it on the preservation list.
“The government did decide to initiate a procedure for registration on the preservation list for the sculpture group, because of the historical importance of the work.
“This means that the City of Brussels, as owner, must maintain it properly, but can move it. Thus, the redevelopment of the square will not be compromised,” the spokesperson said.
In defence of its call, the city’s government cited climatic challenges as a motivation to fully rethink the square and add as many trees as possible. It said it did want a new statute by a contemporary artist in the same location.
Regarding its standpoint, the city administration described how Rousseau’s work “is seen as a medium for conveying moral values and essential truths — immutable and universal — through a perfect harmony of proportions”.
“Given that De Rijpheid was likely understood within its historical context as an idealised depiction of the family — and, by extension, the perpetuation of the cycle of life — maturity is personified through the portrayal of a man in the prime of his life and his wife, a symbol of fertility, both serenely gazing at their children depicted in various characteristic postures of youth.”
Still, the authority stressed, there was an action plan for gender mainstreaming and equality, which aimed to enhance the value of “women’s heritage and reducing gender inequalities in the telling of the history of architecture”.
According to the Brussels Government: “It is crucial to adopt a gender perspective in decisions on the preservation and redesign of public spaces.
“This plan emphasises the importance of eliminating past stereotypes and making women’s contributions to material culture and urban history visible. This rethinking of public artworks is necessary to promote a more inclusive and balanced representation of our city’s history.”
A century ago, it was declared the government’s duty to ensure the sculpture remained in the nation’s possession.
Now, the city government has found that “although the work is a masterpiece of its time, it conveys values that are no longer in line with those of contemporary society, with patriarchal views of social and family relationships conveyed by the work, with fixed stereotypes of the family and male power”.
It said it wanted “to reconsider in light of contemporary values of equality, power and family”, adding that relocating the work would be an appropriate move.
Het is weer #cancelculture en beeldenstorm alom in #Brussel. Overheidsvandalisme. #Haat tegen het verleden. " Beeldengroep 'De Rijpheid' moet weg van Warandeberg in Brussel: "Past niet bij waarden van deze tijd" https://t.co/qgIOiSi3kM
— Johan Op de Beeck (@JohanOpdeBeeck) January 23, 2025
