At the end of 2006, a statue was erected on Normandiëlaan for German physicist and Nobel Prize winner Albert Einstein (1879–1955). Einstein stayed in De Haan from March to September 1933. The municipal council wanted to immortalize his presence in De Haan with a statue. A competition was held, in which twenty artists were invited. Ultimately, the proposal by Johnny Werkbrouck from Torhout was chosen by the members of the municipal council and the cultural council. The statue depicts the scientist sitting on a bench, near the Cœur Volant, where Albert Einstein met James Ensor, at the age he was when he stayed there.
- Material: bronze (statue) and bronze and bluestone (bench)
Artist: Johnny Werkbrouck
°1959, Torhout
trained as a sculptor and stonemason under Frans Heirbout in Bruges. He then studied at the Academy of Ostend (1990-1992) and the Academy of Koksijde (1994-1999). Sculpting is his profession and his life, marble is his passion, perfection and authenticity his goal! Give him a clean block and the right material, and he carves away all excess matter to bring out the core, the reality, the essence of "his" stone. What remains is his personal, honest representation of the classical ideal of beauty. His favorite theme is the human body, which he depicts in full or in part. He works primarily with Carrara marble, which he personally sources in Italy. He also makes bronze sculptures upon request.
Location
Normandy Avenue
