Expo: Bellum et Artes – Europe and the Thirty Years’ War

From 27 April 2024 to 12 January 2025, The House of European History presents the international exhibition “Bellum et Artes – Europe and the Thirty Years’ War” which has at its heart the multifaceted role of the arts in a brutal war encompassing almost the whole continent.

Bellum et Artes is part of a Europe-wide collaborative project involving twelve institutions from seven countries. The project is led by the Leibniz Institute for the History and Culture of Eastern Europe (GWZO) and the Dresden State Art Collections (SKD). The exhibition in Brussels has been co-curated with the House of European History team and highlights the main results and findings of this international cooperation.

The exhibition contains approximately 150 objects showing who was involved, the roles of the arts, the mechanics of warfare and the horrors caused by it, the media boom created by the conflicts, the displacement of artworks and the migration of artists, the road to peace and finally the aftermath which links it to Europe’s present situation. As part of the exhibition, there will be additional events, such as movie screenings, guided tours, lectures by experts, and storytelling pulled from the voices and correspondence of people at the time.

Millions died from violence, hunger and disease. Entire regions were devastated and abandoned when a local, religious-fuelled conflict escalated into a pan-European war over the political shaping of Europe.

How do the arts figure in the Thirty Years’ War? Co-curator Jitka Mlsova tells us: ‘During the war, art production never stopped. On the contrary, art served many functions in this conflict: it documented battles on behalf of the victors, it represented the rulers’ claims of power and wealth, it worked as a widespread means of propaganda, or it called for peace. Many artworks have been dispersed all over Europe as desired and – in that time – became legal spoils of war.’

Looting was a seemingly inevitable practice to co-finance the immense military costs of a war that was fought by mercenaries from all over Europe. Ransacking was not carried out only for money and supplies. Works of art fell prey to war parties as well, not just for the love of art, but also to seize the artworks’ prestige and power of representation. Thus, famous European collections were dissolved and new ones emerged. The European ruling dynasties, including those of Spain, France, Denmark-Norway, Sweden, and the most powerful houses of the Holy Roman Empire, were linked through intricate family ties. They used political and religious alliances to assert inheritance claims, not solely through armed conflict, but also through the means of art – using precious art works as diplomatic gifts to build or strengthen networks of support.

The public opening event of the exhibition will take place on Saturday 27 April from 18:00 – 21:00, with a special programme of guided tours and music. All details here.

More info on the exhibition: Bellum et Artes – Europe and the Thirty Years’ War
27.04 2024 > 12.01.2025