Famous People from Belgium

Rene Magritte (Surrealist painter). Rene Francois Ghislain Magritte was born in Lessines, Brussels in 1898. He started drawing at the age of 10 and his earliest paintings were done at the age of 15. Although he studied art at the Academie Royale des Beaux-Arts it was the artistic influences he absorbed while living in London that has led him to experiment with surrealistic perspectives. He is known for using elements of “magic realism,” or a unique juxtaposition of ordinary objects in odd contexts, giving the image an unusual if not somewhat humorous contradiction.  Some of his most famous works include “The Empty Mask,” “The Treachery of Images,” “The Human Condition” and “The Portrait.” The Rene Magritte Museum in Brussels houses about 200 of his original works and is one of the most popular attractions in Brussels.

Georges Remi (Creator of Tintin). He is better known by his ‘nom de plume’ Herge, (derived from reversing the initials of his name and using the French pronunciation) and gained pop culture fame by creating the character of TinTin (Kuifje).  Georges Prosper Remi was a native of Etterbeek in Brussels and showed early leanings to cartoon drawing. Before Tintin he published a cartoon series called “The Adventures of Totor” which only lasted for four years. In Le Vingtieme Siecle, a daily newspaper he found a friend and supporter in editor Norbert Wallez who encouraged him to draw more cartoon illustrations. Finally in January 10, 1929, Herge published “The Adventures of Tintin,” the first in a long series that has become a favorite character worldwide. It is reported that more than 80 million TinTin books have been sold around the world.

Adolphe Sax (Inventor of the Saxophone). Born in Dinant in Wallonia, Antoine-Joseph Sax was a musician, inventor and musical instrument designer.  His first invention was an improvement of the bass clarinet design. Then there was the saxhorn which he invented while living in Paris. The saxhorn is the progenitor of the flugelhorn and also the modern euphonium. In 1846 he patented the saxophone, the instrument which will immortalize him in world music. Today the saxophone is still used in both orchestras and concert bands.

Audrey Hepburn (Celebrated Actress). One of Hollywood’s female icons was a Brussels-born ingénue. Audrey Kathleen Ruston hailed from Ixelles but spent most of her life outside Belgium. She studied in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom before landing her first major role in the Broadway play Gigi. She has won several awards during her illustrious acting career, and one of the few to have won in all fields - Oscar, Emmy, Grammy and Tony award. She devoted the latter part of her life as a passionate UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her work.
Peter Paul Rubens (Baroque Painter). Belgium’s contribution to world art, Sir Peter Paul Rubens was a 17th century prolific Baroque master painter. His works and influences have helped shape a significant cultural epoch in Northern European art and influenced other painting masters such as Anthony van Dyck.  The term “Rubensian” or “Rubenesque” referring to robust and plus-sized women is attributed to him given his penchant for painting full-figured women.  His many religious paintings generally carried an ultra-conservative stance, having been steeped in the Roman Catholic dogma all his life. However many of his works are also recognized for the dynamic effects and glowing colors which he used with technical precision.

Eddy Merckx (Greatest bicycle racer in history). “The Cannibal,” as he was called in the racing world, Edouard Louis Joseph Baron Merckx has set more records and victories in his illustrious 10-year career. After turning professional at the age of 20 with 80 wins under his belt as an amateur, Merckx went on to capture the Tour de France cup for five times, the Giro d’Italia five times, was given the Triple Crown of Cycling in 1974 for winning in the three most important races of the year, and set a world record for the longest distance cycled in one hour in 1972. Because of his many achievements, Merckx has been feted with a number of honors: a metro station in Brussels was named after him; he was declared Belgian of the Century by the Belgian magazine Knack and Humo called him the Greatest Belgian.

Georges Lemaitre (Proponent of the Big Bang Theory). This priest, astronomer and physics professor from Charleroi developed his “hypothesis of the primeval atom,” a ground-breaking theory about the origins of the Universe.  Although he did not call it the “Big Bang Theory” (a name which was coined by Fred Hoyle), he proposed the idea that the Universe was a result of a “Cosmic Egg exploding at the moment of the creation.” Whilst it was first met with skepticism and disapproval from the scientific community, later research on the matter strengthened his proposal. In 1934, Lemaitre was awarded the Francqui prize which was the highest Belgian scientific distinction.

Albert Claude (Nobel Prize winner for isolation of cancer cells). Albert Claude was a biologist and physicist credited for discovering the process of cell fractionation.  This groundbreaking technique has led to a better understanding of cellular functions and separating virus-infected cells. Together with fellow biologists George Palade and Christian Duve, Claude was awarded the Nobel Prize for medicine in 1974.

Leo Baekeland (Inventor of Bakelite).  He was a Belgian chemist and inventor who developed and patented the Bakelite, the world’s first synthetic plastic. He also invented the Velox photographic paper. The Bakelite heralded the Age of Plastics and from its introduction in 1909, it was used for virtually all sorts of purposes and for all types of industry- radios, telephones, electrical insulators, kitchenware, pipe stems to children’s toys.

Liz Claiborne (World Class Fashion Designer). This Brussels-born fashion magnate (and a brand on her own) took her sketching skills and style sense to the United States where she started her own company. Claiborne aimed to produce comfortable but professional and affordable apparel for women – and she succeeded. The Liz Claiborne, Inc was founded in 1976 and with a steady success  it became a public company in 1981. Expansion and diversification came after, with new lines including shoes, perfume, accessories and menswear, and retail stores.Claiborne was named the fashion industry’s first Entrepreneurial Woman of the Year.