Belgian artist died at the age of 99 on Saturday Paul Van Hoeydonck, author of the first and long work of the Moon’s work. TASR reports this according to AFP and Belg’s news agencies. A native of Antwerp was a versatile artist. He formed in the field of sculpture, paintings, drawings, collages and graphic design. As a modern sculptor, he worked with materials such as bronze, chrome steel, plexiglass, polyester and “mixed media”.
Van Hoeydonck studied at the Institute of Art History in Antwerp and at the Institute of History of Arts and Archeology in Brussels. In addition to Belgium, he exhibited in Milan, Tokyo or New York. His best -known work is FaLlen astronaut (fallen astronaut), nine centimeters high aluminum statue astronaut in a suit, which in August 1971 left on the surface of the Moon crew of the American mission Apollo 15.
The statuette lies at a table with the names of 14 American astronauts and Soviet astronauts, who had died until then in space activities or died in other circumstances. Fallen Astronaut remained the only work of the month until February 2024, when 125 miniature sculptures from American artist Jeff Koons were added.
Van Hoeydonck demanded that his statue stand upright and to represent all humanity. He also wanted to sell replicas of this work, but he had to retreat from it, because NASA prohibits the commercial use of Apollo space program.
