Pewter catchall – Eva Herbiet & Freddy Wybaux

Monogrammed pewter catchall H & W – Eva Herbiet & Freddy Wybaux

• W 22 cm x D 22 cm x H 1 cm.
• Perfect condition.

Eva Herbiet and Freddy Wybaux: an artistic dialogue at the Palais des Congrès in Liège

The Palais des Congrès in Liège, built between 1956 and 1958 by the L’Équerre group of architects, stands as one of the major achievements of Belgian modernism. Set in the Parc de la Boverie on the banks of the Meuse, this complex combining concrete, glass, and Vinalmont limestone is distinguished as much by its integration into the landscape as by the place given to art within its architecture.

Among the most striking interventions are those of Eva Herbiet and Freddy Wybaux, whose works engage in dialogue with the building’s façades. Born in 1913 in Cerexhe-Heuseux, Eva Herbiet developed an abstract practice in which colour and rhythm play a central role, notably through ceramics. For the Palais, she created a major mural fresco at the entrance, conceived as an extension of the space.

The mural composition created by Eva Herbiet on the façade of the Palais des Congrès in Liège

The sculpture by Freddy Wybaux on the façade of the Palais des Congrès in Liège.

Freddy Wybaux, born in 1906 in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean and trained in Liège and Antwerp, developed a sculptural approach grounded in geometry and the shaping of volume. His intervention takes the form of a monumental relief, integrated into the architecture and animated by an upward movement.

This pewter catchall translates, on a domestic scale, the meeting of these two approaches. The balance between surface and relief, and the tension between structure and composition, make it a representative piece of post-war Belgian modernism.