| Description : At the end of the 19th century, the Belgian architect
Victor Horta (1861‐1947) was one of the early pioneers of the stylistic revolution of Art Nouveau, characterised by
open floor plans, the guidance of light through the building structure and the brilliant combination of curved decorative
lines with the load‐bearing structures of the buildings. Steel and glass were used as new building materials. Through
the rational use of metal structures, sometimes openly visible, sometimes cleverly concealed, Horta created living areas
flooded with light and air, directly adapted to the personality and needs of their inhabitants. The imaginative interiors
are characterised by decorative motifs that flow seamlessly from the mosaic floors to the wall paintings, and also by
decorative elements made of wrought iron and custom‐made pieces of furniture. Four of the Brussels townhouses designed
by Victor Horta were declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2000. They take up the traditions of upper middle‐class
townhouses and stately private villas and combine residential and representational functions, which require a skilful
organisation of the various areas of use and their access. For this purpose, Horta used the two‐part building type,
whose two parts are connected by a glass‐roofed circulation area that can be used as a winter garden. Above all,
nature was an important source of inspiration for Art Nouveau, as the generous use of plant and flower motifs and the many
depictions of birds show. In 1893, Victor Horta completed the 'Tassel House' designed for Émile Tassel. 130 years
later, Brussels calls itself the 'Capital of Art Nouveau' and dedicates a varied cultural programme to this anniversary.
The coin, designed by Iris Bruijns, shows a detail of the façade of the house built in 1895 for Baron Edmond
van Eetvelde, an asymmetrical wall decoration above the Beletage designed by Victor Horta. At the top, the issue occasion
"ART NOUVEAU", in the middle the country abbreviation "BE" (Belgium) and below it the year of issue "2023". On the left,
an aster blossom in front of an alder meyer flask represents the Belgian mintmaster's mark of Giovanni Van de Velde,
and below it and an Hermes staff the mint mark of the Dutch mint Koninklijke Nederlandse Munt in Houten. On the
right are the designer's initials "IB". |
