ABSTRACT
Today, statues of great men and the occasional commemorated woman adorn the streets and squares of Belgium. The majority of these monumental depictions of characters from the pages of the nation's history books date back to the nineteenth century. As the Ukrainian case, as well as many others, has demonstrated, the national identity of sculptures and sculptors is by no means a static premise, pointing out the importance of a temporal as well as a geographical framing. The last decade saw numerous research initiatives on the voyages, careers, and reception of specific nineteenth-century artists departed from their native country. When questions about national identity are posed, an interdisciplinary approach presents itself and therefore directly implies the necessity to define certain elements and concepts from outside the field of art history. The reconstruction of Belgian sculptors' national and international careers, as well as their commissions, artworks, education, and reviews in contemporary press, are of crucial importance.
