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Benoît
D. Gilsoul was born in Namur, Belgium in 1914. After completing
his primary studies and his Greek-Latin humanities, he entered the
Académie Royale des Beaux Arts, the top Belgian Art College
from which he graduated in 1938. During the six years at the Académie,
Gilsoul acquired a solid artistic training. By 1933, he had already
founded the secessionist art group: “L’Esquisse,” an
influential group of young artists in Belgium that developed into the
group “Salon National des Jeunes Artistes” later on. In
1935, while still at the Académie, he collaborated in the design
for the entrée Reine Astrid and the pavillon de la vie Catholique
at the World’s Fair in Brussels, Belgium. During that same year,
he also undertook an extensive study tour with Nicolas de Stael, a
close friend and fellow student. Upon graduation from the Académie,
Gilsoul traveled extensively in Italy, France and Spain painting and
drawing continuously.
In 1958, he become président of the Association des Artistes Belges
of which he still remain honorary président. In 1960, he was commissioned
to execute the murals in the Salle de Réception of the Belgian Line
in Antwerp. Also in 1960, the Belgian government sends him to the United
States on a grant to study the artists’ situation in that country.
Gilsoul quickly fell in love with America and upon his return to
Belgium decided to resettle in America with his family and became an American
citizen in 1967. In 1960, he started extensively in the field of Stained
Glass, along with his many other art media such as paintings, prints, tapestries,
sculptures. He operated his own studio in New York where he created,
designed and executed his work. Gilsoul is regarded today as one of the
foremost authority in the field of Stained Glass.

Stained Glass Window,
Adath Israel,
Merion Station, Pa.
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Granite Carved Wall,
St. John the Evangelist,
New York, N.Y.
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Tapestry,
Maria Regina Martyrum,
Berlin, Germany
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Among the many outstanding works for which he is responsible, some
stand out more than others:
- The “United Nations” sculpture
and faceted glass windows in the Dag Hammarskjold overlooking the
United Nations Plaza and facing the United Nations in New York,
New York.
The Tilman Chapel – 1963 – William Lescaze, Architect.
(Sculpture epoxy stained glass - Windows depicting man’s struggle
for peace and brotherhood).
- The stained glass window interpreted from a sketch by Ben Shahn
in Buffalo, New York.
(Temple Beth Zion - 1967 – Marc Abramowitz, Architect.)
- A 200 square foot granite sculptured wall as well as tapestries,
wooden sculptured reredo, Tabernacle, Stations of the Cross for
the Church of St. John the Evangelist in New York, New York.
(1973 – Anthony Genovese and Herbert Maddalene, Architects.)
- The stained glass windows for the Alice Millar Chapel at Northwestern
University, Evanston, Illinois.
(1964 – Edward Grey Halstead, Architects.)
- An epoxy sculptured window and bronze sculpture (façade)
for the Church of St. John the Baptist facing Madison Square Garden
in New York. New York.
(Sculpture of Christ, which his called “Christ in the City”.)
- Temple Israel of Greater Miami, Florida. made with slabs of glass
molded at the Cristallerie Val St. Lambert in Belgium.
(1970 – Kenneth Treister, Architect.)
- Richard J. Complex in Trenton, New Jersey, Four carved
glass walls – 22’ x 32’ x 3/8”. (Supreme
Court of New Jersey – 1983 – Grad/Hiller, a joint venture
of The Grad Partnership and The Hiller Group, Architects.)
- Romare Bearden MTA Subway, Benoît Gilsoul and Helmut Schardt
translated Bearden’s cityscape into faceted glass.
(Artist – Romare Bearden, Untitled – 1982 – Westchester
Square-East Tremont Avenue Subway Station, Bronx, New York.)
- Stained Glass windows for the Chapel of Or Ami Congregation
in Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania – 1979.
Other works in this field, just as outstanding, can be found in
Columbus, Ohio; Miami, Florida; Allentown, Pennsylvania; as well
as most other major cities across America and abroad.
Gilsoul’s works such as sculptures, prints, paintings, tapestries,
etched glass, mosaics and other forms of art can be found in many
private and public collections.
He recently had been asked to submit some of his works to be reproduced
and included in a major book being published in West Germany on Modern
Stained Glass.
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Exhibitions by Benoît Gilsoul
La Galerie de “La Renaissance”
Namur, Belgique
14 Décembre - 27 Décembre, 1940
Nouvelles Galeries
Charleroi, Belgique
8 Janvier - 21 Janvier, 1944
Exposition des Artistes du Namurois
Bourse du Commerce, Namur, Belgium
14 Octobre - 21 Octobre, 1956
Petite Galerie
Bruxelles, Belgique
20 Novembre - 12 Décembre, 1957
Commune de Jambes
Namur, Belgique
24 Mai - 2 Juin, 1958
Galerie Marcel Bernheim
35. rue de la Boëtie
Paris 18e, France
21 Novembre - 4 Décembre 1958
Exposition d’Art Organisée par la Députation permanente
au Palais des Congrès (Mont des Arts)
Bruxelles, Belgium
31 Octobre - Novembre 21, 1959 La Galerie Breckpot Jeune
Anvers, Belgium
10 Novembre, 1959 |
Bodley Gallery
New York, New York
17 Octobre - 28 Octobre, 1961
The Guild for Religious Architecture
(Affiliate of the American Institute of Architects)
Atlanta, Georgia
April 28, 1972
YM-YWHA of Metropolitan New Jersey
West Orange, New Jersey
May 3 - May 25, 1981
Religious Arts Exhibition
The National Interfaith Conference on Religion & Architecture
San Antonio, Texas
April 14 - April 16, 1995
Musée des Beaux Arts
Vernissage du Concours d’Art Sportif
Bruxelles, Belgium
29 Septembre, 1958 |
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Bibliography of Benoît Gilsoul
Articles in Newspaper about exhibitions
La Galerie Breckpot Jeune
Le Soir – 17 Novembre, 1952
Exposition Province du Brabant
Le Soir – Novembre 1959
Au Cercle Gaulois
Le Soir – 13 Novembre, 1959
Monde des Arts – A Travers les Galeries
Le Monde – Novembre 28, 1958
Galeries Marcel Berheim
Le Monde – 3 Décembre, 1958 |
Concours d’Art Sportifs
Les Sports – 30 Septembre, 1958
Arts, Sciences et Lettres
Oeuvres d’Art Acquise par l’Etat en 1958
Libre Belgique – Janvier 1959
Vers l’Avenir – Bruxelles
Le Phare – 8 Décembre 1957 |
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Books mentioning Benoît Gilsoul
Stained Glass from Its
Origins to the present
Harry N. Abrams Publishers, N.Y.
Reflections on Glass
American Bible Society, N.Y.
Chapel of Light Jewish Ceremonial Arts in the Sophie & Nathan Gumenick
Chapel
Union of American Hebrew Congregation Press, N.Y.
Sacred Havens – A Guide to Manhattan’s
Spiritual Places
The Crossroad Publishing Company, N.Y.
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Jewels of Light
Washington National Cathedral, Washington, D.C.
Let Them Make Me a Sanctuary
Behrman House, N.Y.
Houses of Worship – Sacred Spaces in America
Assouline Publishing Inc., N.Y. |
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