From October 4, 2025, Mons will play host to an exhibition that promises to fill the eyes with color and brighten the soul in equal measure. The Musée des Beaux-Arts (CAP) is devoting the autumn and early winter to David Hockney, one of the most influential British painters of his time. Entitled “The Song of the Earth”, this exceptional exhibition takes us into a sensitive reflection on nature and humanity. In particular, we’ll be looking at the invisible thread that connects us to what sprouts, blooms, fades and is reborn around us. The exhibition will be followed by a monumental retrospective in Paris, running from April to September at the Fondation Louis Vuitton.
When painting, music and poetry meet
We know Hockney for his bright-blue California swimming pools, but in Mons, he takes us elsewhere. The exhibition is inspired by a musical work: Gustav Mahler’s “Song of the Earth” symphony. Like this classical hymn, the exhibition is at times melancholy, often luminous, and an ode to the fragile beauty of our world.
The exhibition is divided into several sections, three of which are immersive, in which the paintings dialogue with sounds, words and moods. Nature is revealed in many different forms: the passing seasons, brilliant flowers, solitude in the face of a landscape. You can admire the discreet poetry to be found in a corner of a field or a changing sky.
An unprecedented dialogue with other great names
But Hockney is not alone. The exhibition also places his paintings in resonance with those of Van Gogh, Munch, Constantin Meunier and a number of Symbolist painters. And that’s where it gets exciting.
With Van Gogh, we find the same colorful energy, a way of making a field or a tree vibrate as if they were alive. Munch, on the other hand, brings a more introspective dimension: his landscapes always have a background of raw emotion, a melancholy that Hockney also explores in his own way. Meunier reminds us that the earth is also what we work, what we shape with our hands, a more grounded, physical approach. As for the symbolists, they open the door to an imaginary world, a nature that flirts with dreams and spirituality.
This play of mirrors enriches the experience: you don’t just see Hockney, you see nature through different sensibilities, different eras, different ways of painting and understanding it.
David Hockney, always curious, always on the move
At 88, the prolific David Hockney continues to paint every day, for hours on end. He now lives in London, but his most recent work is inspired by the Normandy countryside, where he settled for several years. There, he captures the nuances of spring, the awakening of trees, sudden blooms… and he does it with his brushes, but also with an iPad. Yes, Hockney was never afraid to experiment. His digital canvases will be present in Mons, printed in large format, proof that you can be an art monument and still explore new avenues.
David Hockney – Le Chant de la Terre: prices, opening hours, practical info
The exhibition runs from October 4, 2025 to January 25, 2026 at CAP – Musée des Beaux-Arts de Mons. It is located rue Neuve 8. Doors open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 6pm, with tickets priced between €12 and €16. Admission is free for children under 12 and on the first Sunday of the month.
How do I get to the David Hokcney exhibition in Mons from Brussels? It’s pretty simple: just hop on a train at Bruxelles-Central, and in 50-55 minutes you’ll be in Mons. The train station, which is also worth a visit, is just a few minutes’ walk from the museum. For those who prefer to travel by bus or car, allow an hour for the journey.
📌 Address: CAP – Musée des Beaux-Arts de Mons, rue neuve 8.
📆 Dates and times: from 4/10/2025 to 25/01/2026 – open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 6pm.
💵 Price: Normal price 16 euros, reduced price 12 euros. Free for children under 12 and on the first Sunday of the month.