Hébert Leemans 2. Paris

Terra Nova Podcast English

A man from Bruges in Paris
The remarkable career of Hébert Leemans. Episode 2: Paris

There was no shortage of Flemish migrants in Paris in the first half of the 18th century. They were often skilled craftsmen, attracted by the largest market for luxury goods in Europe in what had been an era of peace, stability and economic development since the death of Louis XIV in 1715.

The Flemish migrants followed an age-old pattern, as they tended to live in the same neighbourhoods and to seek out each other’s company in various cafés and associations. Some of these were artists: Joseph Suvée (1743-1807), a painter from Bruges, won the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1771, defeating Jacques-Louis David at that time.

What was true for painters was also true for musicians.
Hébert Leemans, was originally a citizen of Bruges, as was his con- temporary Suvée; they both moved to the French capital at approxi- mately the same time. Leemans was then to play a significant role in the development of the early French symphonic style.

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