Galerie Oscar De Vos

At BRAFA 2026, Galerie Oscar De Vos presents the exhibition “Memories of the Lys Region 1850–1930”, a tribute to the artists who immortalised the river, the villages, and the light of the Lys region. In the 20th century, the village evolved into an international artists’ colony. 

The selection features highlights from eight decades of art, from Xavier De Cocks' Flemish Fairground (1857) and Albijn Van den Abeele's subdued Last Rays of Sunlight, Rising Moon (1904) to Emile Claus' rediscovered Villa Sunshine on the Lys (1893) and his iconic masterpiece After the Crossing (1899).

Never-before-seen works on the art market by Jenny Montigny (Summer, c.1905; The Lys at Deurle, 1934) and Maurice Sys (Nocturne, c.1905) are presented alongside expressionist canvases by Frits Van den Berghe, Constant Permeke, Hubert Malfait, and Albert Saverys.

The exhibition evokes the seasons, intimate interiors, and village life of the Lys Valley, forming a poetic remembrance of a landscape that continues to inspire artists and collectors alike.