Temple of Human Passions
Pavillon Horta-Lambeaux

A Greek pavilion in Parc du Cinquantenaire full of passionate art by sculptor Jef Lambeaux.

The Temple of Human Passions has very limited opening hours throughout the year so it is hard to see the inside!

Discover the art of passion in the northeast corner of Parc du Cinquantenaire right next to the Grand Mosque of Brussel. A little bit scandalous and very naked, the artwork and sculptures in this little pavilion is a unique sight to see for art lovers.

The Temple of Human Passions was designed by architect and artist Victor Horta back in 1889. Horta is mostly known now for his big influence on the beautiful Art Nouveau style and you can see some early ideas cropping up at the temple where he took a lot of inspiration from Greek architecture. Even if you can’t go inside the pavilion, it’s worth dropping by for a quick look at the outside while you’re walking through the park.

The art

The pavilion is mostly known for its The Human Passions relief designed by sculptor Jef Lambeaux that was commissioned by King Leopold II. The relief is quite big at 12 x 8m (39 x 26 ft).

• Artists don’t always get along. You know those artsy types. Horta and Lambeaux argued a lot, especially about how to show off the relief. Lambeaux wanted to have it as a wall and Horta wanted the Temple open with the relief always on display. It was only after Lambeaux died that Horta changed his plans for the temple and turned it into what we see today. Since Lambeaux got what he wanted, but never got to see it, we do think Horta technically won the argument.
• 99 years: did you know that King Baudouin gave the temple as a gift to King Faisal ibn Abd al-Aziz of Saudi Arabia in 1967? Along with the East Pavillion of the park, Saudi Arabia held the temple for 99 years until giving ownership to the Royal Museums of Art and History.
• While the work is iconic, it got a lot of criticism when Lambeaux first unveiled it. Obviously the nudity caused some pearl clutching, but the artwork also shows a crucified Jesus Christ below Death. You can imagine the reaction of conservative Belgians. A writer in L’Art Moderne in 1890 gave a scathing review, calling the relief a ‘ an absolute and incomparable childish concept’. Ouch!