Equestrian Statue of Albert I, Brussels

The Equestrian Statue of Albert I (Statue équestre d'Albert I; Ruiterstandbeeld van Albert I) is a bronze equestrian statue erected in Brussels, Belgium, in memory of King Albert I, third King of the Belgians. It was created by the sculptor Alfred Courtens in 1951.

The statue stands on the Place de l'Albertine/Albertinaplein, at the point where the Mont des Arts/Kunstberg joins the Boulevard de l'Empereur/Keizerslaan, and a few tens of metres from the Royal Library of Belgium (KBR). This area is served by Brussels-Central railway station.

History
The accidental death of King Albert I in 1934 aroused great emotion in Belgium, and many cities planned to pay homage to him. In Brussels, the form that this tribute should take, monument or architectural or urban development, was subject to discussion. It was ultimately the classical and traditional option of sculpture that won out.

The first project by the sculptor Alfred Courtens in the form of a 1.5 m model was submitted in 1943, then revised and finally approved in 1946. The Second World War and the lack of materials further delayed the monument's construction. Finally, in 1951, the sculpture, cast by the Compagnie des Bronzes de Bruxelles, was brought to the site in three parts to facilitate transport (the body of the horse, its head, and the effigy of the king) and placed on the base designed by Jules Ghobert, one of the architects of the Royal Library of Belgium (KBR).

Description
The imposing bronze equestrian statue is placed high on a pedestal made of blocks of blue stone, dominating the town centre. Albert I is represented there in a classical way as a soldier king wearing the military coat and holding a helmet in his hand. The style is reminiscent of that of the Equestrian Statue of Leopold II on the Place du Trône/Troonplein, whose author, Thomas Vinçotte, was Courtens's teacher. The sculptor justified the choice to represent his model bareheaded by the fear that the shadow of the helmet would hide his face.

The monument is part of an overall project including the Mont des Arts and the Royal Library of Belgium, dedicated to Albert I and nicknamed Albertine in French or Albertina in Dutch (today KBR), the first stone of which would however only be laid three years after the statue's inauguration.