Robrecht from Bethune

Count of Flanders

At work, you can see the stern-looking Count of Flanders, Robert of Bethune, in full armour. He is wearing a helmet, chain mail, armour, a sword and a shield. The shield is adorned with a clawing lion. Around him, you can recognise views of Ypres: St Peter's Church at the bottom left, the belfry tower and St Martin's Church at the top right, and a few wooden houses and a section of the ramparts at the bottom right.

Walter Seys

Walter Seys, an artist from Ypres and former director of the Academy, created this work. He paints, draws and is a graphic artist. Ypres plays a major role throughout his work.

In 1973, he designed the new tombstone for Robert of Bethune, who is buried in St Martin's Cathedral in Ypres. This linocut also dates from 1973. However, there are major differences between the two works of art. For example, the lion resting at the count's feet on the tombstone is missing from the linocut. Moreover, the linocut does not show a peaceful, praying count, but a count with his hand on his sword, ready for battle. All references to Ypres are absent from the tombstone.

Technique

Linocut is a form of relief printing. You cut away everything around the image. What remains is covered with ink and printed. It resembles a woodcut, except that a piece of linoleum is used instead of wood. Because the material is softer, the lines are smoother. Furthermore, there are no visible grain lines, which makes the printed surfaces smooth. This is clearly visible in the solid black areas and in the lion on the shield.