Prosper Colmant, 1912 — Symbolist Landscape of Mother Earth

Symbolist Landscape with Symbols of Mother Earth
Prosper-Louis Colmant (1867–1943), Belgium, dated 1912
Oil on canvas, large format, H 161 cm x W 180 cm
Signed lower left: “P. Colmant (19)12”

Prosper-Louis Colmant was a Belgian painter active in the Symbolist circles of Brussels at the turn of the 20th century. In 1912, the year this work was created, he exhibited at the Belgian Pavilion of the 10th International Art Exhibition in Venice. A member of the Pour l’Art group, founded in 1892 around figures such as Jean Delville, Colmant aligned himself with an idealist and esoteric vision of art that rejected the dominant naturalism in favor of spiritual, mythical, and timeless dimensions.

In this monumental composition, he presents a barren, primordial landscape inhabited by motionless human figures. The scene evokes a world at the dawn of civilization, stripped of narrative elements. Women with hieratic postures embody Mother Earth, while a seated man, accompanied by bread and vessels, appears to guard an ancient and silent knowledge. The bare, stony ground and absence of lush vegetation reinforce the sense of a symbolic rather than realistic space.

Colmant’s style here is deliberately archaizing: the matte and slightly rough surface of the canvas recalls early Italian Quattrocento frescoes. This technical choice introduces a temporal distance, giving the painting an aura of sacred antiquity. The formal simplicity, slow rhythm of the figures, and enclosed horizon place the scene within a meditative and timeless visual tradition.

A symbolist and esoteric reading
This painting reflects the Belgian Symbolist aesthetic shaped by esoteric thought, which Colmant shared with artists such as Jean Delville, Fernand Khnopff, and Émile Fabry. Influenced by the theories of Joséphin Péladan, Colmant regarded art as a vehicle for universal truths, revealed through purified forms and archetypal figures. Here, Mother Earth is not merely a feminine figure but a cosmic principle, representing order, fertility, and collective memory.

Public works
In addition to his easel paintings, Colmant is known for his large decorative compositions, including the allegorical murals in the council chamber of the Laeken Town Hall near Brussels. These public works explore similar themes: labor, the land, community, rootedness, and spiritual continuity.

Condition
The painting is in excellent condition. The sober and balanced colors remain stable, and the matte, textured surface fully preserves the artist’s intended archaizing effect, enhancing the contemplative and symbolic intensity of the scene.