Difference between revisions of "Flanders"
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[[Flemish School of Painting|Flemish]] [[painting]] from that period reigned supreme and has now become a by-word in the worldwide history of art. Works of Flemish Primitives such as the Van Eyck brothers, Dirk Bouts, Rogier van der Weyden, [[Hans Memling]] and Jeroen Bosch hang in the world’s foremost museums. | [[Flemish School of Painting|Flemish]] [[painting]] from that period reigned supreme and has now become a by-word in the worldwide history of art. Works of Flemish Primitives such as the Van Eyck brothers, Dirk Bouts, Rogier van der Weyden, [[Hans Memling]] and Jeroen Bosch hang in the world’s foremost museums. | ||
| − | During the sixteenth and seventeenth century, succeeded the brilliant [[ | + | During the sixteenth and seventeenth century, succeeded the brilliant [[Pieter Bruegel the Elder|Pieter Bruegel]], [[Peter Paul Rubens|Pieter Paul Rubens]] and [[Antony van Dyck|Antoon Van Dyck]]. <ref>[http://www.flanders.be/servlet/Satellite?c=Page&cid=1166590837701&context=1166590833692--EN&p=1166590837082&pagename=flanders_site%2FView Culture] |
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Revision as of 22:31, April 21, 2013
Flanders (Flemish: Vlaanderen) is the northern region of Belgium in which the predominant language is Flemish; the chief city is Antwerp; other major towns and cities include Bruges, Zeebrugge, Ostend, Ghent and Mechelen. The Belgian capital, Brussels, is a separate bi-lingual region which forms an enclave within Flanders. Southern Belgium is occupied by the French-speaking region of Wallonia.
Flanders was the scene of very heavy fighting between British/Canadian and German armies during the First World War, most notably during the three Battles of Ypres in 1914, 1915 and 1917. It was most memorably described by the Canadian war poet John McCrae (1872-1918) in 1915:
- In Flanders fields the poppies blow
- Between the crosses, row on row,
- That mark our place; and in the sky
- The larks, still bravely singing, fly
- Scarce heard amid the guns below.
- We are the Dead. Short days ago
- We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
- Loved and were loved, and now we lie
- In Flanders fields.
- Take up our quarrel with the foe:
- To you from failing hands we throw
- The torch; be yours to hold it high.
- If ye break faith with us who die
- We shall not sleep,
- though poppies grow
- In Flanders fields.
Flanders will be president of the network of 73 regions with legislative powers in Europe for 2008 . [1]
Culture
The thriving international trade during the Middle Ages led to a natural openness towards other cultures that then gave Flanders its own rich and internationally-oriented culture.
In the field of classical music, there were the Flemish Polyphonists, such as Josquin des Prez, then the Michelangelo of music, and Orlandus Lassus.
Flemish painting from that period reigned supreme and has now become a by-word in the worldwide history of art. Works of Flemish Primitives such as the Van Eyck brothers, Dirk Bouts, Rogier van der Weyden, Hans Memling and Jeroen Bosch hang in the world’s foremost museums. During the sixteenth and seventeenth century, succeeded the brilliant Pieter Bruegel, Pieter Paul Rubens and Antoon Van Dyck. [2]
Ned Flanders, often nicknamed "Flanders," is a character on the TV show The Simpsons.
