gay-sculpture blog: The Geefs brothers and the Evil Genius & Angel of Evil.

Thursday, March 15, 2018

The Geefs brothers and the Evil Genius & Angel of Evil.

The Belgian cathedral 'St Paul' located in Liège is the home of a beautiful young man sculpted in white marble by Guillaume Geefs in 1848.

The sculpture was actually commissionned first to his brother Joseph (1808-1885), also a sculptor. He was asked to create a Lucifer, or Evil Genius. When the statue was set up in the cathedral, in 1843, the male body was judged very, very attractive, probably too much naked and not enough 'Evil' despite the snake near his feet and the bat wings. See by yourself below.

So 5 years later, his brother Guillaume got the commission for another Lucifer. Joseph's one was removed after one year from the cathedral, and is currently visible in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, in Brussels. Below is the new version of Lucifer, sculpted by Guillaume Geefs.

To avoid the critics made to his brother, he emphasized the symbols of Lucifer, although the nudity is still very much present, with a slightly more muscular body. Guillaume Geefs (1805-1883) was the main sculptor working for Leopold I, selected king for the Belgium nation founded in 1830.