ABSTRACT
In addition to studying and working in Paris, Belgian artists also increasingly exhibited at the salons organized in the French capital. Corresponding to the increase of Belgian sculptors at the Paris salons, the Belgian salons each year welcomed a growing number of foreign sculptors. In this respect, the Brussels fine arts salons were by far the most 'international'. The Antwerp exhibition indeed seems to have focused mostly on painting, therefore having a notably smaller sculpture section compared to Brussels and Ghent. Apart from the French presence at the Belgian salons, other nationalities, such as the occasional British, German, Dutch, or Italian artists, were also represented, again mainly in Brussels. While the total foreign attendance undoubtedly grew, it is difficult to reconstruct whether this truly coincided with an increasing 'awareness' of the foreigners' presence at the Belgian salons. Starting with the Paris International Exhibition of 1855, artworks of different nations were exhibited according to 'national school' during the prestigious expositions.
