The artist Albert Cortvriendt lived in an astonishing Brussels house in the Marolles quarter. Located in the quiet Rue de Nancy, it was built as a home and studio by the architect Léon Sneyers in 1900.
The stained glass windows and sgraffito decoration have been lovingly restored. The architect’s name carved on a stone.
The door is also impressive with its elaborate iron door handle and letter box. Although the artist died in 1920, the name Cortvriendt is still etched in a round metal plaque next to the door.
Sneyers was one of the most creative architects in fin-de-siècle Brussels. His work combined art nouveau style and Vienna Secession, but almost all his buildings have been destroyed, leaving just this one extraordinary house.
Derek Blyth’s hidden secret of the day: Derek Blyth is the author of the bestselling “The 500 Hidden Secrets of Belgium”. He picks out one of his favourite hidden secrets for The Brussels Times every day.
