The 19th-century sculptor Jef Lambeau was always getting into trouble. His sculptural frieze in the Pavilion of the Human Passions in Brussels’ Parc du Cinquantenaire caused a scandal when it was unveiled. After three days, the authorities decided to close the building to protect public morals.
Lambeau’s statue of The Nymph of the River Bocq suffered a similar fate when it was placed in front of Saint-Gilles town hall in 1894. The figure was commissioned by the Brussels water company to mark the completion of its catchment project in the pretty valley of the River Bocq.
The sensual statue of a naked nymph was originally designed to decorate an elaborate fountain, but the fountain was never built. It was eventually placed in front of Saint-Gilles town hall. But the fleshy figure turned out to be too explicit for delicate Catholic morals. It was hidden away in a municipal cellar until 1976, when the authorities finally decided it was safe to put it on public display.
But they were still rather worried that it would shock the good people of Brussels. So they planted a municipal hedge around the nymph to protect her modesty.
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.
