Royal Museum fine arts in Brussels owes its emergence to the artistic policy of the French Republic. The decree of Fructidor 14, 1799 announced the creation of collections in fifteen capitals of the departments of the Republic, including However, this intention clearly contradicted the unceremonious plunder artistic treasures, to which it was subjected, among other countries conquered by Napoleon. Since 1797, the Belgian side has made a lot of efforts to return the stolen treasures that decorated the halls of the Louvre in Paris. The fight to return the priceless national treasure headed by the first curator of the museum in Brussels, Guillaume Jacques-Joseph Bosschaert (1737-1815) . Bosshart headed the Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture in Brussels, dreaming of creating a art gallery. At his suggestion, the museum at the Academy was first placed in 1798 former church Jesuits, but eventually occupied the so-called Old Court Palace. With persistence and energy he searched valuable works art among the secularized property of churches, he bought a lot from private owners. Risking his position and making enemies in ruling circles, Bosshart showed tremendous persistence in negotiations for the return of paintings from France, he himself traveled to Paris, wrote personally to Napoleon, and in the end his efforts were crowned with success. Already in 1801, Rubens’s paintings “The Adoration of the Magi”, “St. Francis Xavier", "Coronation of Our Lady", "Death of St. Livina." As a result, more than a hundred paintings were received from France. Among the acquisitions of Bosshart’s successors, it should be noted the masterpiece by J. Jordans “Allegory of Fertility” (purchase 1827), Lamentation of Christ by Petrus Christus (1844) , “The Battle of the Rebel Angels” by P. Bruegel (1846) .
In 1834, the Ministry of the Interior transferred its collection to the museum for storage. modern painting. Thus, the city collection was connected to the state one art collection. In 1842, valued at one million six hundred and forty-four thousand francs, the museum's collection became state property, then receiving the name of the Royal Museum of Painting and Sculpture, now changed to the Royal Museum of Fine Arts.
Already in 1882, the museum collected five hundred and twenty works, which could hardly be accommodated in the Old Court palace. Soon a decision was made to divide the collections, to transfer old paintings, as well as sculptures, to the Palace of Fine Arts, intended for exhibitions, concerts, and competitions. The building of this palace was built in the spirit of classicism according to the design of the architect A. Bal in 1875-1885. Still works of art (including the 18th century) are in it.
The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Brussels (there is also the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp) includes five museums:
- Museum ancient art
- Museum of Art Nouveau (literally fin de sicle - end of the century)
- Magritte Museum
- Wirtz Museum
- Mainer Museum
Entry price
An adult ticket to each of these museums will cost 8 euros. Combination ticket valid for one day for the first three museums - 13 euros(the last two are free).
For children and young people from 6 to 25 years old, tickets to the first three museums will cost 2 euros, combined - 3 euros.
Museums are included in the Brussels Card system, we will talk about it in more detail here.
On my second trip to Belgium, I visited all three museums using a combined ticket, and did not regret it at all. Why am I focusing on this? Because, preparing for the trip and studying countless reports, I realized that most travelers pass by these museums. And they are wonderful! Of course, if painting makes you sleepy, and you can’t immediately distinguish Bruegel from Monet, then you shouldn’t torture yourself with a heavy dose of distant art.
But if you have been to the Louvre and Orsay, the Tate Gallery or the Rijksmuseum, or, finally, the Hermitage, then missing the Royal Museums is simply a crime.
Visit for free
Free entry to all Royal Museums is available every first Wednesday of the month.
Schedule
Tuesdays - Fridays: from 10.00 to 17.00
On weekends: from 11.00 to 18.00
Magritte Museum: Monday - Friday: 10.00 to 17.00
Weekends: from 11.00 to 18.00
Wirtz and Meiner Museums: Tuesday-Friday from 10.00 to 12.00 and from 12.45 to 17.00.
The ticket office closes half an hour before closing time.
Closed January 1, Thursday 2, May 1, November 1, November 11, December 25.
On December 24 and 31, museums close at 14.00.
Museum of Ancient Art
Pieter Bruegel (along with his son) is amazing, it’s impossible to tear yourself away. In the Louvre, I walked to the inexpressibly beautiful, but so small “Cripples” for almost an hour. And here is a feast of the spirit: “The Fall Icarus", "The Fall of the Rebels" angels", “Census in Bethlehem” and, perhaps, the most favorite - “Winter landscape with a bird trap."
Dutch Collection (Pieter Bruegel, Bosch,Rogier van der Weyden, Jan Van Eyck), Flemings (Hans Memling, van Dyck, a whole hall of Rubens - not for everyone 😉 ) and the Germans (Lucas Cranach) of the 15th-17th centuries does not let go.
Jacques Louis David “The Death of Marat”, interestingly enough, I definitely saw it in Reims, it is considered one of the main masterpieces of their museum. It turns out that the painting has many copies, both by the author and by artists from David’s workshop, so it’s not surprising.
Museum of Art Nouveau
Do you love Art Nouveau as much as I do? Then you will be interested here. Small but rich collection. Not the Orsay Museum, not even the Orangerie, no. But there is still something to keep your gaze on. Alphonse Mucha and elaborate furniture with floral motifs are the first attribute of Art Nouveau.
Impressionism, pointalism, surrealism: Gauguin, Van Gogh, Sisley, Seurat, Bonnard, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Salvador Dali, Dufy.
The museum is very young, opened in 2013. It is located in a separate building, but is connected by passages to the Museum of Ancient Art (the same as the Magritte Museum). It was a real quest: to put the backpacks in a storage room in the first museum, and then painfully return to them.
Magritte Museum
There are a lot of documentaries: photographs, etc. Major masterpieces famous surrealist We scattered to other museums, but it’s still definitely worth going in and looking around. After all, you are in the homeland of Rene Magritte!
Among the streets of pastel-chocolate ancient Brussels lives a truly great and immortal art. It is kept in the royal museums of fine arts, famous throughout the world. This is a unified system that stores and displays priceless cultural treasures. It includes museums of the old and contemporary art, as well as museums, dedicated to creativity Wirtz and Meunier.
It seemed that there could be a more peaceful institution than Art Museum. But the history of these Belgian collections is closely connected with events that are by no means peaceful - wars and revolutions.
A little history:
These treasures were collected into a single whole by the French revolutionaries in 1794, part works of art transported to Paris. What remained, Napoleon ordered to be collected in the former palace of the Austrian manager, and as a result, a museum was opened there in 1803. After the overthrow of the emperor, the valuables taken to France were returned, and all the property came into the possession of the Belgian kings, who began to take care of replenishing the collections of paintings and sculptures with ancient and modern works.
2.
Museum exhibits
The old collection has been housed in a specially built building on the Rue de la Regence since 1887. And in the old Austrian palace there were works that were contemporary at that time. Already at the end of the last century, a building was added to the building to house works created since 1900.
The Museum of Old Art contains luxurious collections of Flemish authors of the 15th-18th centuries: Campin, van der Weyden, Bouts, Memling, Bruegel the Elder and Younger, Rubens, van Dyck.
IN Dutch collection Rembrandt, Hals, Bosch attract the most attention. Attention is also paid here to French and Italian painters - Lorrain, Robert, Grez, Crivelli, Tentorelli, Tiepolo and Guardi. The paintings of Lucas Cranach the Elder exhibited in the halls are widely known.
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One of the halls of the Royal Art Museum
The exhibitions of the Museum of Modern Art primarily represent Belgians such as Wirtz, Meunier, Stevens, Ensor, Knopf. But there are also famous Frenchmen here: Jacques Louis David, Ingres, Courbet, Fantin-Latour, Gauguin, Signac, Rodin, van Gogh, Corinth. Both Belgian and foreign surrealists are gathered here: Magritte, Delvaux, Ernst, Dali.
In suburban Ixelles, a museum dedicated to Antoine Wirtz opened in 1868, and a museum dedicated to Constantin Meunier was added to the royal ones in 1978.
Information for travelers:
- Museums of old, modern art, Fin-de-Siecle (history of Belgian and pan-European Silver Age) and Rene Magritte
Address: (first 3 museums): Rue de la Régence / Regentschapsstraat 3
Rene Magritte Museum: Place royale / Koningsplein 1
Opening hours: Mon. — Sun: 10.00 — 17.00.
Closed January 1, 2nd Thursday of January, May 1, November 1, December 25.
24 and 31 December open until 14.00
Ticket prices:
Ticket to one of the museums: adults (24 - 64 years old) - 8 euros, adults over 65 - 6 euros, children and youth (6 - 25 years old) - 2 euros. Children under 5 years old are free.
Combined ticket for 4 museums: adults (24 - 64 years old) - 13 euros, adults over 65 - 9 euros, children and youth (6 - 25 years old) - 3 euros. Children under 5 years old are free.
How to get there:
Metro: lines 1 and 5 - go to Gare Centralt or Parc station.
Trams: lines 92 and 94, bus: lines 27, 38, 71 and 95 - stop Royale.
- Constantin Meunier Museum
Address: Rue de l'Abbaye / Abdijstraat 59.
Opening hours: Tue. - Fri: 10.00 - 12.00, 13.00 - 17.00. The entrance is free.
Everyone has heard about the famous “Pissing Boy” fountain, but not everyone knows that the residents of Brussels went further and installed the “Pissing Girl” fountain near the oldest pub Delirium, and a little later “Pissing Dog”. In general, their imagination knows no bounds. What else is interesting to see in Brussels? All the answers are in our guide. Brussels is known to the world for its palaces, made in gothic style, perfectly preserved ancient narrow streets, spacious squares, unusual sculptures and monuments. We'll tell you about the most interesting sights of Brussels.
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The Royal Palace is the home of many ruling families, located at some elevation above the city, in Brussels Park. On this moment used for official ceremonies, open to the public daily. The following deserve special attention: the Throne Room, the Mirror Room, the Imperial Room. In each of the listed interior rooms, the visitor will see expensive luxurious decoration, French style and elegant design.
The Bellevue Museum is located in the Royal Palace and houses a collection of artifacts, documents, and antiques dating back to the formation of the Belgian state. Entrance to the Royal Palace is free for everyone, the cost of entry to the museum is: for adults - 5 euros, for pensioners, upon presentation of a pension certificate - 4 euros, students pay 3 euros, children - free.
The Palace of Charles of Lorraine has tragic story, at the end of the eighteenth century was barbarously plundered by the occupiers, so not many of the halls were preserved in their original form. When visiting the palace complex, you should pay attention to the staircase in the hall, at the base of which stands a sculpture of Hercules.
It has been preserved since the construction of the structure. Furniture, household items and musical instruments times of the 18th century. Visiting days: Wednesday and Friday from 13:00 to 17:00. Price entrance ticket for an adult it is 3 euros, for children admission is free.
Hereby cultural center Brussels is considered the Palace of Fine Arts, built at the beginning of the 20th century. When designing the palace, it was decided to mix the styles of neoclassicism and modernism, later this style began to be called art deco. Henry Le Bouf is a hall in the Palace of Fine Arts with good acoustics. Performances by world-class opera stars and symphony and philharmonic concerts are often organized here. In addition, the palace became a venue for performances dance groups and theater troupes.
To get to the palace, use the first metro line, stop "Gare Centrale& Parc" or the bus that runs through the central area of the city, stop "Central Railway Station".
The diverse face of Brussels can be studied for a long time, but a better idea of it can only be formed when a person gets acquainted with the main religious buildings of the city.
The main church symbol of Brussels is the Cathedral of St. Michael and Gudula, which is located on a certain hill, between the old and new districts of Brussels. The style of execution is mixed – there are elements of Gothic and Romanticism, which attracts the tourist’s eye. Construction time: 11th century. The facade of the building was recently restored, but the interior decoration has been preserved almost unchanged.
The internal dimensions of the rooms amaze the human imagination - tens of meters separate the floor from the vaulted ceilings, and large-scale columns and life-size sculptures complement the range. The cathedral is decorated with stained glass paintings depicting fragments of the lives of monks and great saints. In addition to visiting the cathedral, everyone can listen to a concert organ music, which is held for parishioners on Sundays.
Cathedral opening hours for visitors: weekdays– from 7 am to 6 pm, weekends – from 8 am to 6 pm.
Basilica of Sacre Coeur
The Sacré-Coeur Basilica is main symbol independence of Belgium, was built in honor of the 75th anniversary of the declaration of independence of the state. Considered a must-visit place. Location: Elizabeth Park. The building reaches a height of ninety meters, making it considered the largest building in the world, made in the art deco style. Two thousand people can fit inside the basilica at a time. Today, the premises of the Sacré-Coeur Basilica are used not only as a place for religious services, but for holding concerts and exhibitions. Part of the basilica is reserved for a museum and lecture hall.
Church of Notre-Dame de Laeken
History buffs should visit the Notre-Dame de Laeken church, which is located in the suburbs of Brussels. The period of construction of the religious building is the second half of the nineteenth century. The church houses a crypt - the burial place of five rulers of the Belgian state - Leopold the first, second and third, Albert the first and Boudewijn. The opening of the crypt, according to tradition, is carried out on the days of great church holidays.
You can get acquainted with painting and sculpture from the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries in the Catholic Church of Notre-Dame du Finistère, which is geographically located in the central part of Brussels. Part of the church is made in classic style, the other is in the Baroque style.
Beer Museum
Belgium is known throughout the world for its breweries, so it is not surprising that a beer museum was opened here. Location – Grand Palace, 10. Main exhibits: ancient containers for storing beer and for its production. Tourists will be interested in learning about the brewing process, as well as tasting a delicious freshly brewed drink. The museum is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm, the entrance fee is 5 euros.
Perhaps the main monument of Brussels, known far beyond its borders, is the “Manneken Pis”. Famous sculpture was born thanks to Jerome Duquesnoy and began to decorate the city of Brussels since 1619. Tourists can find the city's landmark near the Prince's Palace. An interesting thing is the peculiar performance associated with the sculpture - dressing up a boy in costumes, of which there are already more than a hundred. The process of changing outfits has become a favorite tradition of residents and guests of the city.
Few people know about one more interesting monument Brussels - “The Pissing Girl”. The sculpture appeared in the city in 1987. The monument is the idea of Denis-Adrien Debouvry, a famous sculptor. Finding the monument is not as easy as its famous brother; it is located at the dead end of the Alley of Fidelity; you can use Rue des Bouchers as a landmark.
Monument to Don Quixote and Sancho Panza
Brussels paid tribute to the great to a Spanish writer and erected a monument to “Don Quixote and Sancho Panza”. Location: Spanish Square. The monument is installed on a high pedestal, so the architects protected it from possible acts of vandalism.
The real symbol of the Belgian capital has become the Atomium monument, which is an enlarged copy of an iron molecule. The monument symbolizes the limitless possibilities of man and speaks of the need to use atomic energy for peaceful purposes. The author of the project is Andre Waterkein. The monument consists of nine huge spheres - iron atoms, the diameter of which is eighteen meters.
The spheres are connected to each other using pipes. Each of the spheres performs a specific function - the one located at the top point is an observation deck of the city, the multi-colored sphere is a small cozy hotel, the central sphere is given over to a cafe. Separate areas are exhibition halls and galleries.
The Atomium monument is one of the symbols of Brussels; it can be seen from many points in the city. You can get to the monument by metro, Heizel station. Opening hours: from 10 am to 6 pm daily. Cost of visiting: adult ticket - 11 euros, ticket for children from 12 to 18 years old - 8 euros, ticket for children aged 6 to 11 years - 6 euros. Children under 6 years old have free entry.
The initial appearance of Brussels was formed thanks to artisans and merchants; the active phase of development began only in the middle of the last century, when Brussels became a gathering place for the world's leading politicians. Today Brussels is a modern European city, where everyone can enjoy the ancient majestic buildings, excellent level of service, unusual architectural monuments. Brussels has many attractions that will take at least a week to explore. An incredible number of vivid memories await the tourist; the capital of Belgium knows how to surprise and amaze!
.© Philippe van Gelooven 2015
BOZAR
This huge center of fine arts, built in the Art Deco era, has not only extensive exhibition areas, but also its own concert hall, a cinema hall, laboratories for artists, musicians and architects. The center does not have its own collection, but it is here that the largest exhibitions in Belgium are held, including retrospectives of dozens of other masters that have already taken place.
© Yannick Sas
© Mikaël Falke
Musée du Cinquantenaire
Cincentenary Museum, or Museum of Art History, is one of the largest in Belgium. Its history dates back to the 19th century, the time of the reign of Leopold II and the time of the creation and unification of all kinds of royal collections. In terms of the eclectic composition of the collections, it can be compared with those in London or Vienna. It displays works of art and crafts from around the world, from antiquity to modernity, including an extensive block of works by African artists from former colonies. The museum is open big park, where you can stroll and look at the pavilion by leading Art Nouveau architect Victor Horta.
Villa Empain / Fondation Boghossian
Villa Empain, built in 1911 by one of the founders of the Vienna Secession, Joseph Hoffmann, is located near the current center of Brussels. The luxurious building with a swimming pool and garden was bought by the Boghossian family of Lebanese jewelers in the 1990s, completely restored and decided not only to show visitors a magnificent example of the Art Deco style, but also to hold various exhibitions here. The exhibitions usually echo the spirit of the villa - its architecture and furniture of that time. Many classics of the last century have already been exhibited here, from to.
ADAM
Museum in Ixelles, like a puzzle, continues to be made up of private donations, and it began back in late XIX century. Today his collection includes more than ten thousand works of art. different centuries, including works by and , and , Ensor, Warhol and . There is also a large space for temporary exhibitions, where a variety of exhibitions are shown - from Belgian and European symbolists to photography.
Horta Museum
House-Museum of Victor Orta, one of the founders of the Art Nouveau style in architecture, was opened in 1969 and, despite the “boring” memorial status, remains one of the most visited museums in the city. Here you can see furniture and decor of that era, Orta’s personal belongings and, of course, admire the work of the master himself - Orta rebuilt his home several times, achieving almost ideal modernist proportions.
Van Buuren Museum
Van Buren House Museum- this is both an excellent example of the Art Deco style (it was built in 1928 according to the design of the banker David van Buuren himself), and shining example eclectic collecting, so beloved by Belgians today. The house, furnished with designer furniture and decorated with art objects from different times, was at one time a real salon, where Elvis Presley and Georges Minnet visited. Today here you can not only look at fantastic interiors and furniture, but also see a collection of paintings and sculptures with masterpieces by Kees van Dongen and other masters.
ING Art Center
The exhibition space of one of the largest banks fits elegantly into the museum quarter along with the Royal Museums and BOZAR. Here, as in Vienna, owned by the Bank of Austria, large-scale exhibitions of local classics, as well as large prefabricated projects, take place. For example, there have already been exhibitions of abstraction from the collection of the Guggenheim Museum, British and American pop art, and a retrospective of a classic of modern art.
La Patinoire Royale
This large neoclassical building, built in 1877 in the center of Brussels for royal entertainment (it was home to a roller skating rink), today houses one of the largest exhibition halls Belgium. For many years now, it has been successfully rented by the famous gallery owner Valerie Buck to display large-scale installations and monumental works. And she has something to show: only over the last couple of years, the spaces have been filled with works by such artists as, and.
WIELS
Another center for contemporary art without its own collection, but with regular and extremely entertaining temporary exhibitions, as well as big program art residences. Its main task is to present to the audience both young and already famous artists from all over the world. Rita McBride, Duncan Campbell, Simon Denny, Clara Liden and others have already been here as residents.
© Wiels
Vanhaerents Art Collection
The family's collection of contemporary art from the 1970s to the present day is displayed in the four-story industrial building dating back to 1926. Its reconstruction was carried out thirteen years ago by the Ghent bureau Robbrecht en Daem. Today there is a permanent exhibition with works by Warhol and Christian Boltanski, as well as temporary exhibitions.
CENTRALE For Contemporary Art
A private art center, which, in addition to large exhibition spaces for temporary exhibitions, includes residences for young artists under 35 years of age and a workshop with a gallery for experiments CENTRALE.box. The exhibitions here are collected mainly from private Belgian collections of contemporary art of the 20th and 21st centuries, so they are most often varied both in composition and in themes - just like eclectic local collections.
© Johan Dehon
CAB
This art foundation, housed in a former Art Deco warehouse, hosts two major exhibitions a year, from September to December and April to June. The curators are museum and gallery people from different countries, and the art that is exhibited here is also international: installations by Tony Matelli, sculpture by Wilfredo Prieto and painting experiments by the group coexist next to Jean Prouvé’s house.
MIMA
This private museum opened in 2016 in the Molenbeek district in a former brewery. That same year, the building, whose roof offers stunning views of the center of Brussels, celebrated its centenary. Enthusiastic collectors and owners of the museum display a wide variety of art from around the world on four floors, with an emphasis on multimedia and street art. Exhibitions by the Swedish duo Akay & Olabo, the Dutchman Boris Tellegen, and combined international exhibitions dedicated to graffiti and street art have already been held here.
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