• Ivo Depauw
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  • Added 01 Jul 2016
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Air-view of Borgt

The village of my youth seen from the sky. What strikes is the green hill in the middle of the village. That thing they call a "motte", a thirteen meter high artificial construction (like children make sandcastles) and probably thrown up by Roman legions. In those days the river was floating along the church (at the right on the painting). Somewhere in the 12th century some clever lords builded a wooden fort on this hill to overview the river Senne and ... requiring tribute on the passing boats, to high displeasure of the duke of Brabant. After some years fighting could not stay away and the situation conducted at last, for twenty years, to the "war of Grimbergen". Later the place developed himself to an independed an well of community, builded arround the hill (there is only one straight street above in the village) and received the name Borgt, before Borcht, coming from "burcht", what means "fort" in English. As a kid it was a marvellous place for playing, now the place is a part of the Belgian patrimony and because of the larger spreading of the air network of the national airport, sportflyers may even not fly over Borgt anymore.

4 Comments

Anonymous Guest

Ron Bedsole 29 May 2018

exquisite

Sharon De Vore 01 Jul 2016

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL VILLAGE, IVO, AND BEAUTIFULLY DEPICTED HERE IN WATERCOLOR.

Artist Reply: Many thanks Sharon

Joanie Holliday 01 Jul 2016

WOW,WHAT A FANTASTIC STORY AND FANTASTIC WORK OF ART. SO MUCH DETAIL AND "PATIENCE " GREAT MEMORIES OF YOUR LIFE ON PAPER. JOANIE

Artist Reply: Thanks Joanie, I was lucky I know all the houses and today the village looks still about the same

marie-claire gallet 01 Jul 2016

Formidable, Ivo !!! Merci pour toutes tes explications. Ce qui m'amuse en plus c'est que l'endroit où je réside parfois dans les Alpes a été construit pratiquement sur le même modèle !!!

Artist Reply: Merci Marie Claire, en somme j'ai fait cette aquarelle pour le "Jour des Monuments ouvert" en Flandre, qui a lieu en septembre et ou Borgt assiste cette année. Et comme il n'existe qu'une photo sombre j'ai essayer d'y mettre un peu plus de vie