Our series of five ‘word paintings’ by Hugo Claus and Serge Vandercam, "Le Radeau de la Méduse"  (the Raft of the Medusa), lies at the heart of a new exhibition at the Royal Fine Arts Museums of Belgium. This chef d’oeuvre is just one of several works by the two artists on show until 27 January 2019.

"Le Radeau de la Méduse" is actually five ‘word paintings’ created by Hugo Claus and Serge Vandercam in 1964. The work, for which the writer transformed himself into a painter and the painter into a writer, is particularly representative of the CoBrA movement and bears witness to an important artistic experiment.

The work was acquired in 2008 by the Léon Courtin-Marcelle Bouché Fund, managed by the King Baudouin Foundation. It has been entrusted to the Royal Fine Arts Museums of Belgium, which wished to pay homage to Hugo Claus during the latter months of the year devoted to his work.