Culture of Luxembourg
Jean Jacoby, who was awarded two Olympic Gold medals for his artwork and, above all, Joseph Kutter with his Expressionist landscapes and portraits, were notable during the first half of the 20th century.
Kutter's brightly coloured painting of "Luxembourg", commissioned for the 1937 World Exposition in Paris reveals his mature Expressionist style, of which there is more than natural emphasis on how the houses appear to be stacked up one behind the other, how the buildings take on almost cubic contours and how the fortifications tower powerfully above the valley.
[1] Other celebrated painters of the periods were the Impressionist Dominique Lang; Nico Klopp, who painted striking post-impressionist landscapes of the Moselle; and Sosthène Weis, whose innumerable watercolours of Luxembourg City and its surroundings are reminiscent of the style of J. M. W.
[2][3] Major contributors to the art scene after World War II were Emile Kirscht, Michel Stoffel, Foni Tissen, and Gust Graas.
[4] Closely associated with the post-war artists was the sculptor Lucien Wercollier whose impressive abstract works in bronze and marble can be found not just in public places in Luxembourg but in the surrounding countries too.
[5] The sculptor Claus Cito (1882–1965) is remembered above all for the Gëlle Fra (Golden Woman) sculpture crowning the Monument of Remembrance obelisk (1923), raised in memory of the Luxembourg soldiers who died for their country in the First World War.
Similarly, Gabriel Lippmann who was also born in Luxembourg but moved to France when only three, was awarded the Nobel Prize for his pioneering work in colour photography.
[8] Another influential writer was Batty Weber (1860–1940) who worked both as a journalist and as an author of short stories, novels, plays and poems, contributing much to the development of Luxembourg culture.
Rewenig's Hannert dem Atlantik appeared in 1985 and Manderscheid's childhood trilogy Schacko klak, De papagei um kâschtebam and Feier a flam in 1988.
Today there is a veritable architectural boom as Luxembourg's economic prosperity provides a basis for developments in the financial, EU and cultural sectors with a number of world-class buildings.
Luxembourg's internationally recognized soloists include violinist Sandrine Cantoreggi, cellist Françoise Groben, pianists Francesco Tristano Schlimé and Jean Muller, and singer Mariette Kemmer.
Among its contemporary composers are Camille Kerger, Claude Lenners, Georges Lentz (although he lives mainly in Australia), Alexander Mullenbach and Marcel Wengler.
Other delicacies include the Ardennes ham smoked in saltpeter, game during hunting season (such as hare and wild boar), small plum tarts in September (Quetsch), smoked neck of pork with broad beans (Judd mat Gaardebounen), fried small river fish (such as bream, chub, gudgeon, roach, and rudd), liver dumplings (Quenelle) with sauerkraut and boiled potatoes, black pudding (Träipen), sausages with mashed potatoes and horseradish, and green bean soup (Bouneschlupp).
A number of white and sparkling wines are produced in Luxembourg, on the north bank of the Moselle, which has a winemaking history dating back to the Romans.
Under trainer Luc Holtz, the Red Lions have gained more prominence, attaining their highest ever FIFA ranking at 82nd in 2018, and achieving results that have included a 1-0 victory over Ireland in 2021, and a relatively successful qualifying campaign for the 2024 European Championship.
Luxembourg's most famous past players include Louis Pilot and Guy Hellers, both of whom also coached the national team after ending their playing careers.
