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EXPERIENCE THE FLEMISH
MASTERSPROGRAMME
2018 - 2020
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For over 250 years, from the 15th to well into the late 17th century, Flanders was the fountainhead of the finest art in Western Europe and the inspiration be-hind the most famous art movements of the time: Primitive, Renaissance and Baroque.
The artists, renowned for their skill, creativity and technical innovation, turned an already rich and urban Flanders into one of the world’s most culturally sophisticated regions, with impressive achievements in both art and architecture.
INTRODUCTION
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THE FLEMISH MASTERS 2018-2020
The Flemish Masters project focuses on the life and legacy of several 15th, 16th and 17th century artists who were based in Flanders, particularly Rubens, Bruegel and the Flemish Primitives, including Van Eyck.
While many of the works by these Flemish Masters can be admired all over the world, the experience is most powerful in the unique setting of Flanders, where the work was created. You can stroll around the historic setting in which Rubens lived, wander through the landscapes that inspired Pieter Bruegel the elder, and discover a painting by Van Eyck in the exact location it was painted for.
Significant infrastructure investments are being made throughout Flanders as we realize how important high-quality tourist services are in delivering an optimal visitor experience. Futhermore, a programme of high-quality events and perma-nent exhibitions with international appeal will be organized throughout 2018, 2019 and 2020.
The restoration of the Ghent Altarpiece and its return to St Bavo’s Cathedral, the re-opening of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, a true Rubens’ treasure trove, and the different events marking the 450th anniversary of Bruegel’s death will be the highlights of the programme.
While the art from the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries will be the main priority, we will also make several crossovers to other art forms and experiences. For example, contemporary art, comic strips and gastronomy will be featured.
Most of the Flemish art cities will be in the spotlight, though smaller towns with top pieces will also be taking part.
Our goal is to make the Flemish Masters project accessible for everyone, deliver quality over the entire holiday value chain. We look forward to your support and partnership in this endeavour.
MECHELEN
LEUVEN
GHENT
ANTWERP
BRUSSELS
BRUGES
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2019 EXPERIENCE THEWORLD OF BRUEGEL p. 20
2018 ANTWERP BAROQUE CITY, SIGNED BY RUBENSp. 8
2020 THE GHENT ALTARPIECE IS COMING HOMEp. 30
FLEMISH MASTERSPROGRAMME 2018 - 2020
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ANTWERP BAROQUE CITY, SIGNED BY RUBENS
AN AUSPICIOUS STARTRubens was born in 1577 in Siegen (in present-day Ger-many), but soon moved to Antwerp with his mother after his father died. It was there that he learnt to paint, taking instruction from artists such as Tobias Verhaecht, Adam van Noort and Otto van Veen. In 1600, he travelled to Rome and Venice in Italy, and then later to Spain. It was clear even then that he was no ordinary talent as he soon received Royal commis-sions from both courts.
RUBENS HOUSE AND STUDIOSIn 1608, he returned to Ant-werp as the official court painter to the Low Countries, a title bestowed on him by Archduke Albert of Austria and Isabella of Spain. It was then that he bought a house and land on Wapper Square and set about redesigning it. Inspired by the architecture of Roman Antiquity and the Renaissance, Rubens drew up the plans for the renova-tion himself, and turned an
ordinary Flemish house into a ‘palazzo’. He extended the home considerably and add-ed a studio, a garden pavilion and a semi-circular sculpture museum with a dome, and there was a magnificent portico offering a beautiful view of the courtyard garden and the garden pavilion. The result was magnificent. From then on, his studio would become a hive of activity with many employees and students (some of them going on to be famous, like Anthony van Dyck and Jacob Jordaens), producing many hundreds of creations and paintings to order.
A DIPLOMATIC CAREERA favourite of Archduchess Isabella, Rubens became increasingly involved in diplo-matic missions on her behalf - indeed he was the one who finally brokered a peace deal between Spain and England, a move that would eventually lead to a cessation of hostili-ties between the Spanish and the Dutch, close allies of the English. Rubens was a highly esteemed court guest all over
Europe with many contem-poraries considering him as skilled a diplomat as he was an artist. For he was by then almost universally revered as a painter without rival.
During his travels he secured many high-profile assign-ments, including commissions such as the creation of 24 paintings celebrating the life of Maria de Medici for the Pa-risian Palais du Luxembourg.
A BAROQUE LEGENDIn 1630, Rubens returned to Flanders for good and bought Elewijt Castle outside Brussels. There he painted his largest commission to date, namely 112 works to decorate the Royal Hunting Lodge in Madrid, the Torre de la Parada. By 1638, these were finally finished and sent to Spain, but by then his health was beginning to deteriorate, and he died in 1640 at his home on Antwerp’s Wapper Square.
PETER PAUL RUBENS MAY MOSTLY KNOWN AS A SUCCESSFUL ARTIST, BUT HE WAS ALSO AN ESTEEMED DIPLOMAT, POLYGLOT AND COLLECTOR.
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In 2018, the city of Antwerp will pay homage to its baroque cultural heritage, and to Peter Paul Rubens, in particular. An icon of Antwerp, the largest and most baroque of the five Flemish cities of art, Rubens is the embodiment of baroque, and it is he who is credited with bring-ing this art movement to the Low Countries when returning from Italy in the early 17th century. It was Rubens who gave Antwerp, marked by the capitulation of 1585, a regained pride and identity that still defines and characterizes the city today.
BAROQUE IN ANTWERP
THE CONTEMPORARY BAROQUE SPIRIT OF ANTWERP LIVES ON
The word Baroque is derived from the Portuguese word ‘barocco’ meaning, ‘irregular pearl or stone’. This is per-haps the perfect metaphor for Antwerp as it evokes something mysterious, multifaceted and difficult to pin down, while remaining classic and amazingly contemporary at the same time. Rubens’ house – today one of the city’s major museums – is a baroque classic, and there are also many stylish churches in the city from this era. Fortu-nately, the tradition continues and new and eccentric, baroque-like buildings are being added to Antwerp’s skyline all the time, including Richard Rogers’ Court House and Zaha Hadid’s new Port House, while some of our great contemporary artists based in Antwerp continue to be inspired by Rubens’ baroque tradition.
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I’M JUST A SIMPLE MAN STANDING ALONE WITH MY OLD BRUSHES, ASKING GOD FOR INSPIRATION.PETER PAUL RUBENS
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Curator Teju Cole, art historian and award winning writer, will link the past with the present through arts and artists, and emphasizes that Antwerp and Rubens are still impressively fascinating when it comes to imagination and splendour.
ANTWERP BAROQUE CITY 2018,signed by Rubens
The city of Antwerp has ambitious plans to celebrate its impressive baroque heritage and Rubens in particular, and a citywide cultural project is being organized under the name ABC 2018 (Antwerp Baroque City, signed by Rubens).
Food, fashion and shopping, glamour and glitter and a plethora of cultural and artistic initiatives are being prepared to ensure that you can enjoy the city and its baroque heritage every day of the year.
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• MIDDELHEIMMUSEUM: The open-air sculpture park of Middelheim will host an exhibition on so-called ‘follies’. Contemporary baroque sculptures will be inspired by the extravagant garden decorations of several centuries ago. www.middelheimmuseum.be
1 \ GROENPLAATS 2 \ RUBENSHUIS 3 \ TEJU COLE 4 \ LUC TUYMANS 5 \ M HKA6 \ MAS MUSEUM 7 \ CATHEDRAL OF OUR LADY 8 \ MOMU
• MAS MUSEUM: Starting from the work of Peter Paul Rubens and other Flemish baroque masters, curator Bert Watteeuw will illustrate how three areas of life - ‘public’, ‘private’ and ‘secret’ - influenced the Baroque period and still play a decisive role today. www.mas.be
• THE RUBENS HOUSE: The Rubens House, the ‘palazzo’ where the Flemish master and his family lived, will host an exposition of small-scale and intimate baroque works designed by Rubens, and brought to Antwerp from collec-tions all over the world. www.rubenshuis.be
• MoMu: Antwerp’s fashion museum will curate an exhibition in sever-
al historical locations around old town Antwerp. www.momu.be
• M HKA: The Antwerp-based artist Luc Tuymans will contrast works from historical baroque and contemporary masters at The Museum of Contemporary Art, Antwerp. www.muhka.be
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EVENTS PROGRAMME ANTWERP BAROQUE CITY 2018, signed by Rubens
EXHIBITIONS
• Teju Cole provides the artistic inspiration for a juxtaposition of contemporary art and work by Rubens in the Cathedral of Our Lady, Carolus Borromeus church and a fully restored Saint James’ church.
• The Royal Ballet Flanders and Opera are working on baroque performances with Sidi Larbi Cher-kaoui and Aviel Cahn.
• Walter Van Beirendonck and Linder Sterling will create a Ba-roque parade, in the full tradition of those Triumphal Entries of the Baroque age.
• ARTISTS’ STUDIOS/GALLERIES: the studios of contemporary ‘baroque artists’ Jan Fabre and Annemie Van Kerckhoven will be open to the public.
FESTIVITIES
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PERMANENT RUBENS & BAROQUE OFFER
In no other city in the world will you find as many tangible reminders of Rubens as in Antwerp, for he spent most of his life living and working there. It was where he received his training, where he experienced family joys and sorrows, and where he welcomed princes and dignitaries as a diplomat for the Low Countries. It was also the place where he did his painting, becoming by popular acclaim, the greatest painter of his era. His presence is still keenly felt in the city. His statue welcomes visitors to the Groenplaats and more than fifty of his works are on display in various museums and churches, often in the setting for which they were created. His home, studio and grave are all located in Antwerp.
ANYONE WHO SAYS ANTWERP, THINKS RUBENS
• RUBENS MARKET MARKET SQUARE | 15.08 EVERY YEAR Peter Paul Rubens is remembered at the Rubens market festival, which
takes place each year on August 15th, around the Grote Markt.
• THE GOLDEN CABINET ROCKOX HOUSE | OPEN UNTIL 02.07.2017 Visitors to the Rockox House in Antwerp will be able to see how an Antwerp
art collection must have appeared in the Golden Century. More particularly, the residence of former mayor and patron Nicolaas Rockox (1560-1640) is being transformed into a luxurious art cabinet with top items from the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (currently closed for renovation) and the most important works from the Rockox House itself. On display will be a range of fine paintings by such masters as Rogier Van der Weyden, Hans Memling, Jan Van Eyck, Peter Paul Rubens and Antoon Van Dyck.
• REUNION CATHEDRAL OF OUR LADY | UNTIL END OF 2017 Eight altarpieces from the collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Ant-
werp are the showstoppers of the exhibition Reunion. From Quinten Metsijs to Peter Paul Rubens.
TEMPORARY RUBENS EXHIBITIONS AND EVENTSCannot wait until 2018? Visit the current long-term Rubens exhibitions and events today and in the years to come.
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ROYAL MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS ANTWERP
currently closed for renovation, it will re-open Spring 2019. It’ll be worth the wait as it houses one of the finest Rubens collections in Belgium.
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RUBENS HOUSE
the home of the artist for many years. You can visit his studio and see his impressive art collection.
THE CATHEDRAL OF OUR LADY ONZE-LIEVE-VROUWEKATHEDRAAL
four masterpieces by Rubens are on permanent display.
PLANTIN-MORETUS MUSEUM UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE
the house of Rubens’ good friend and the place where many of his engravings were printed.
ST. CHARLES BORROMEO AND ST. PAUL’S CHURCHES
Rubens’ talents as an ecclesiastical baroque architect are clearly visible in these two churches.
ST. JAMES’S CHURCH
this is where the artist was laid to rest. Rubens chose the painting for the altar: his own “Our Lady surrounded by the saints.”
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ROCKOX HOUSE
the former residence of the Antwerp mayor at the time, Nicolaas Rockox, and a friend and patron of Rubens is a treasure trove of baroque art.
RUBENS in Antwerp
UNIQUE RUBENS’ ACTIVITIES FOR TOUR GROUPSON DEMAND, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF SPECIAL ACTIVITIES AVAILABLE FOR TOUR GROUPS:
• Exclusive visits and opening hours • Visits behind the scenes, including private organ concerts in
historic churches• Creative workshops: print, engraving, book binding• Guided (Rubens) walks through the city
YOU CAN BOOK BY CALLING VISIT ANTWERP OR SENDING AN E-MAIL:
VISIT ANTWERP+32 3 338 81 [email protected] WWW.VISITANTWERPEN.BE
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While little is known about the life of Pieter Bruegel, much can be said by studying the subject matter of his paintings and examining the times he lived in. Clearly fascinated by nature, human-ity and humour, he doesn’t quite fit the mould of one or another ‘type’ of artist. The truth is though we know very little about his life with
certainty, and this makes him a truly enigmatic figure.
Two early sources1 suggest that Bruegel was most likely born between the years of 1525 to 1530. It is recorded that he became a free master in the Guild of St Luke, Ant-werp in 1551. This leads us to conclude that he most served his apprentice to the master
craftsman (reknowned de-signer of tapestries, architect, sculptor) Pieter Coecke van Aelst between 1545 and 1550. It was also during his appren-ticeship that he may have been trained as a manuscript illuminator by Coecke’s wife, Mayken Verhulst.
EXPERIENCE THE WORLD OF BRUEGELTHE ENIGMA OF PIETER BRUEGEL THE ELDER
1 Lodovico Guicciardini’s account of the Low Countries from 1567, and Karel van Mander’s Schilder-boeck of 1604.
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THE GUILD OF SAINT LUKEMembership of the Guild of Saint Luke in Antwerp, will have certainly exposed Bruegel to the influence of the local Romanists for whom travel to Italy and appreciation of classical and humanist culture were essen-tial. And so it is no surprise to find that he travelled to Italy around 1552. He is known to have met the miniaturist Giulio Clovio while in Rome, for three paintings by him were listed in the latter’s will of 1578, but they have not survived. Around 1554 Bruegel returned to Ant-werp, probably by way of the Alps. This journey resulted in a number of exquisite drawings of mountain landscapes. These sketches, which formed the basis for many of his later paintings, are not records of actual places but “composites” made in order to investigate the organic life of forms in nature.
AN ARTIST BY TRADEFrom the mid 16th century on-wards, Bruegel began to be more professionally active. By 1552, he had established his first contacts with the print publisher Hier-onymus Cock and it is from this epoch that we have his earliest surviving drawings. These draw-ings can still be seen today: the collection of Bruegel’s graphic production which is kept by the Royal Library of Belgium, ranks among the richest world-wide. It is also home to a collection of about 90 rare high-quality prints as well as three master drawings by Bruegel himself.
Back from Italy however, Bruegel begins to concentrate on paint-ing. About forty five oeuvres survive. These paintings are scattered worldwide, but 5 of them can be seen in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Brus-sels, while the iconic painting ‘The Dulle Griet’ (Mad Meg) can
be viewed in the Mayer van den Bergh Museum in Antwerp. This museum also owns the 12 hand-painted wooden plates by Bruegel, each depicting a proverb.
FAMILY LIFE IN BRUSSELS
In 1563, Bruegel moves to Brus-sels and marries Mayken Coecke, daughter of Pieter Coecke and Mayken Verhulst in Brussels’ Notre-Dame de la Chapelle Church. His son Pieter Bruegel (the Younger) is born in 1564 while Jan Breugel (the Elder) arrives in 1568. This is also the year that Breugel produces his last (known surviving) paintings and drawings. Bruegel dies in 1569 and is buried in the same church in which he married, the Notre-Dame de la Chapelle, near the Sablon in Brussels.
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EXHIBITION ‘DE EEUW VAN BRUEGEL, KUNST IN ANTWERPEN EN DE ZUIDELIJKE NEDERLANDEN 1530 -1600’. (ROYAL MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS ANTWERP)
This exhibition is a double celebration. Not only will this be the first exhibition in the completely refur-bished Royal Museums of Fine Arts in Antwerp, it will also mark the 450th anniversary of the death of the Renaissance artist Pieter Bruegel.
Besides giving an overview of the artistic produc-tion in Antwerp and southern Netherlands from 1530 to 1585, it will focus on the work of Pieter Bruegel himself. www.kmska.be
MUSEUM MAYER VAN DEN BERGH DISPLAYS WORK BY PIETER BRUEGEL THE ELDER IN A PERMANENT EXHIBITION
‘Mad Meg’ (Dulle Griet) is one of Bruegel’s most famous paintings, and in contrast to many other of his works, no printed copies of it exist. It is an ‘apocalyptic’ and ‘volcanic’ narrative painting and rather like its author, has kept its secrets well locked up for precisely what it means remains a mystery. It is full of misshapen monsters and a woman girded in armour strides forth with a sword in her hands: this is Mad Meg, a synonym in Bruegel’s time for a hellcat.
Also at this museum you’ll find the famous series Bruegel made of proverbs painted on twelve oak dining plates.www.museummayervandenbergh.be
EXPERIENCE BRUEGEL AND HIS LEGACY ALL OVER FLANDERS AND BRUSSELS
ANTWERP
ROYAL MUSEUMS OF FINE ARTS IN BRUSSELS (RMFAB)
Only about forty-five of Pieter Bruegel’s paintings have been preserved, making them rare and extreme-ly valuable. The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Bel-gium house the second largest ensemble of Bruegel the Elder paintings.
Several major works are on permanent display: Fall of the Rebel Angels (1562), the Winter Landscape with a Bird Trap (1565), and the Census at Bethlehem (1566), as well as one preparatory drawing for Prudence (1558).
EXPERIENCE THE BRUEGEL BOX AT THE ROYAL MUSEUMS OF FINE ARTS BRUSSELS
Using ‘The Fall of the Rebel Angels’ by Bruegel the Elder, the Bruegel Box is a highly immersive technol-ogy, which allows the viewer to truly enter Bruegel’s imagination and discover his original view on a world in transformation. This imaginary representa-tion, influenced by the cabinet of curiosities and the discovery of the New World, is brought to life. Thanks to a unique multimedia installation, the visitor is launched into the heart of the untold, effervescent chaos of the masterpiece.
The Google Cultural Institute (Google Art project) has also made a giga-pixel reproduction of the artwork.www.fine-arts-museum.be
BRUSSELS
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EXPERIENCE BRUEGEL IN THECOUNTRYSIDE IN THE ‘PAJOTTENLAND’
GAASBEEK CASTLE Gaasbeek Castle lies about 13 km south west of Brussels and is a beautiful medieval castle, surrounded by gently rolling hills and water. It’s where you’ll find two exhibitions on Bruegel:
• THE REDISCOVERY OF BRUEGEL: this exhibition in Spring 2019 celebrates a genera-
tion of 19th century artists who were fascinated by the genius of the artist who contributed so much to establishing the Flemish identity. Visitors will be immersed in a game of changing moods, not only with paintings but also music, literature and film. It’s a unique way of discovering Bruegel’s cynical humour, his caricatures and hidden messages, and the way he glorified agriculture and the rural life.
• BRUEGEL MEETS CONTEMPORARY ART: in the autumn of 2019 (September - early Novem-
ber), a group of contemporary artists will be inter-preting the artistic legacy of Bruegel with existing and newly commissioned work. It’s an occasion for the biggest names in modern art to prove that the illusion-less art of Bruegel is as topical today as it was then.
www.kasteelvangaasbeek.be/en
CYCLING TOUR IN THE PAJOTTENLANDA special Bruegel cycle route has been prepared taking you past Gaasbeek Castle and St-Anna-Pede church, as well as the lush green landscape that Bruegel depicted in his paintings. The start of the route is only a short metro ride away from Brussels city centre. Bicycles are available for hire: Villo.be, Erasmus Hospital bike station.en.villo.be
THE CHURCH OF ST-ANNA-PEDE A beautiful 13th century church depicted on the painting ‘The Blind Leading the Blind’.
The most complete graphic collection of work by Bruegel is housed at the Royal Li-brary of Belgium. In addition to Bruegel’s printed oeuvre, several rare master drawings by the artist himself will be available for viewing during this exceptional exhibition.
The exhibition will offer a whole new perspective on the world of Bruegel by displaying the artist’s work alongside that of his contemporaries like Bosch, Van der Heyden, van Doetecum and others.
You will be digitally immersed into the black and white world of Bruegel. It’s a chance to learn who commissioned these different prints; how they were perceived, and what their fate has been during their 450-year existence.
THE WORLD OF BRUEGEL IN BLACK AND WHITE AT THE ROYAL LIBRARY OF BELGIUM, BRUSSELS
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ACTUAL PERMANENTBRUEGEL PRODUCTS
\ 1 The Bruegel walk in Neerpede
\ 2 3 paintings and 1 drawing in the Royal Museums of Fine Arts Brussels
\ 3 2 works in the Mayer van den Bergh Museum
\ 4 Notre-Dame de la Chapelle Church, Brussels (where he married and was buried)
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DID YOU KNOW?Did you know that Bruegel depicts curling and ice hockey in the painting ‘Hunters in the Snow’?
Did you know that both Pieter Bruegel’s sons became famous painters in their own right?
Do you know why fools are so often depicted by Bruegel and Bosch as appearing in hollowed out eggs? The answer is that “in Middle Dutch, door means both egg yolk and fool.”
REGIONS
BRUEGEL EXHIBITION IN BOKRIJK: ‘THE WORLD OF BRUEGEL’Bokrijk is a unique open-air museum with its own park and walking area. It is located just 60 minutes east of Brussels by car. While you can always ‘see’ a Bruegel in either Antwerp or Brussels, this is a chance to ‘live’ it. ‘The World of Bruegel’ brings Breugel’s painting to life in a fully immersive experience. You will find farmsteads, objects, even landscapes from the time of Bruegel. At var-ious strategic points along the Bruegel route, visitors will be invited to enter 4 different worlds housed in impressive barns and fine examples of historic craftsmanship themselves. Ideal for families wanting an unforgettable day out.
OTHER (FOR AVID ART LOVERS) • In cooperation with the Kunsthistorisches Museum
of Wien, the Flemish Art Collection is developing a website covering the entire oeuvre of Bruegel with the Rubenianum responsible for the scientific documentation.
• The ‘Bruegel’ Youth Hostel in Brussels will be
entirely refurbished on the theme of Bruegel and his paintings. It is ideally located a few steps away from Central Station, in the shadow of the Notre-Dame de la Chapelle, where Bruegel was buried.
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BOOK REVIEW
Books about a single artwork are relatively rare, but this book not only explains the meaning of the work, but also gives considerable detail about the life and times of one of Flanders’ most original Renaissance artists.
The author argues that with his Fall of the Rebel Angels (1562), Pieter Bruegel turned a traditional devotional theme into an innovative commen-tary on his own time. More particularly, the book reveals some long-kept secrets about the painting. It explains that
the hybrid falling angels are carefully composed of natu-ralia (things made by nature) and artificialia, (things made by man) as they were col-lected in art and curiosity cabinets of the time.
This places Bruegel in the centre of the emerging global knowledge society. Living in Antwerp at the time of the creation of this painting, Breugel will have had an expanded worldly conscious-ness, for it was a major sea-port and will have been the arrival point for many exotic
animals and artefacts from the ‘new world’. By zooming in on the events of the year 1562, the author offers fas-cinating insights on Bruegel and his move to Brussels, the city, the court, the chambers of rhetoric and the Brussels tapestry industry.
This book shows how study-ing a masterpiece can offer real insights into the master’s life, place and time, 450 years after he painted his last work.
BRUEGEL: NEW INSIGHTS ON A MASTERPIECE
Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Fall of the Rebel Angels is the first comprehensive book on one of the most cherished masterpieces of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium in Brussels.
PIETER BRUEGEL THE ELDER, FALL OF THE REBEL ANGELSAUTHOR: Tine L. Meganck PUBLISHER: Silvana Editoriale | Cahier n° 16 of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
Available at the Museum Shop and in the Visit Flanders Shop: www.flandersshop.be
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The paintings made in the Southern Low Countries during the 15th and early 16th centuries are a particular high point in the history of art. The period, generally referred to as the “Flemish Primitives”, flourished thanks to the penetrating nature of oil paint and a desire to reproduce the visible world as detailed as possible. It was a time when commissions not only came from the various courts and religious institutions, but also from cities and their citizenry. For the first time, the painter enjoyed a prominent position in society.
2020 THE GHENT ALTARPIECE IS COMING HOMEA TURNING POINT IN ART HISTORY
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UNMATCHED VIRTUOSITY WITH THE PAINTBRUSH
Jan Van Eyck was a major figure in the painting revolution taking place in the Low Countries during the early part of the 15th centu-ry. With his precise observation and natural rendering of reality, his brilliant use of colours and mastery of oils – a technique he perfected - Van Eyck took paint-ing to new heights. His employer, the Duke of Burgundy (Philip the Good), ensured that he was well paid and able to paint “whenever he pleased”. He was also asked to handle a number of diplomatic vis-its, including one to Lisbon in 1428 to arrange the Duke’s forthcoming marriage with Isabella of Portugal.
A COVETED MASTERPIECE
Jan’s most famous creation is the Ghent Altarpiece “Adoration of the Mystic Lamb”, made for Saint Bavo’s Cathedral in Ghent. It is a 12-panel polyptych that he worked on with his older brother Hubert, also a painter. Jan finished the commission in 1432 following Hubert’s death in 1426. It was the most famous oil painting of the epoch.
Since its first viewing in 1432, the magnificent altarpiece measuring 4.40 x 3.40 m is considered one of the world’s finest art treasures. Un-fortunately it has been the victim of 13 crimes and 7 thefts since its installation. The latest theft oc-
curred on the 11th April 1934 when two panels from the work were stolen, one of ‘John the Baptist’ and another of the ‘Just Judges’. A ransom of a million Belgian Francs was demanded, and in a show of good faith by the perpetrator, one of the panels, that of ‘John the Baptist’, was returned, but no money was ever paid. So sadly the last piece of the puzzle is still miss-ing. One of the themed bypaths in STAM, the Ghent city museum, tells the story of the theft of one of the side panels of the Ghent Altar-piece, ‘The Just Judges’ panel. The hunt for the missing panel is still on and introduces a light-hearted note.
THE RESTORATIONOF THE GHENT ALTARPIECE
“For more than four hundred years, we haven’t actually been viewing the real Ghent Altarpiece.”
Commissioned by the merchant, financier and politician, Jodocus Vijd, then the equivalent of the mayor of Ghent, the Ghent Altar-piece was designed for the Vijd chapel in today’s Saint Bavo Ca-thedral. It’s a work of art that has spoken to the imagination ever since its creation in 1432.
THE LATEST RESTORATION
Since October 2012, Bart Devolder has coordinated the restoration project at the KIK (Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage), a Belgian institution whose expertise is
world-renowned. “We discovered that large parts of the work were painted over during a 17th century restoration. That was the accepted way of restoring a painting at the time. But the good news is that the original layer is still in good condition and so we can, in prin-ciple, remove the top layer,” says Devolder. Although in the world of restoration a conscious choice is sometimes made to keep the traces of time, the restorers are con-vinced that, in this case, it is the right thing to do to remove the top layer. “We have already made small windows in certain areas of
the panels. The colours, details, folds and depth that have been revealed are of remarkable quality and perfectly match the style of Van Eyck. This also explains why experts had previously grouped details of this piece among some of Van Eyck’s lesser work. Now we know that this is because the work of the real Van Eyck has largely been hidden under newer layers of paint,” suggests Devolder. Further details, such as a spider’s web just above the heads of Joos Vijd and Elisabeth Borluut have also recently been revealed during the restoration.
STORY
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UNIQUE VAN EYCK EXHIBITION IN THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS IN GHENTThis exhibition will zoom in on the relationship between Van Eyck’s work and the high cultural circles in which he was active, in particular the Burgundian court of the Duke, Philip the Good. It will create dif-ferent experiences around the oeuvre of Jan Van Eyck just before the reinstallation of the Ghent Altarpiece in Saint Bavo’s Cathedral. The Duke was known as a collector of paintings and many other “rarities”. With his refined taste, he attracted the best artists and craftsmen of his time, and this resulted in a court that was filled with treasures and wonders. Not unjustly, historians see a sophisticated political strategy in this quest for artistic brilliance, with the dazzling splendour also serving as a display of the ruler’s political influence and military power. www.mskgent.be
NEW VISITOR CENTRE IN SAINT BAVO’S CATHEDRAL The return of the restored Ghent Altarpiece to St. Ba-vo’s Cathedral scheduled for 2019/2020 will coincide with the opening of a brand new visitor centre in the crypt of the cathedral. The visitor centre will address various topics includ-ing the remarkable history of the painting (including the current restoration campaign) and the signif-icance of the artwork itself. Besides its religious meaning and its historical value, the visitor centre will also explain its link with the urban society of the 15th century and clarify some typical Christian customs and symbols.
3 MAJOR MUST-SEES FOR 2019/2020
EVENT: THE RETURN OF THE GHENT ALTARPIECE (TO BE DEVELOPED)
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A COMBI-TICKET FOR THE 3 RELEVANT LOCATIONS COSTS 12 EURO.
YOU WILL HAVE ACCESS TO:
- The Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent
- The Caermersklooster- Saint Bavo’s Cathedral
SEE THE RESTORERS AT WORK
Until 2019/2020, when it is estimated that the resto-ration will be complete and put back in its original place on display in Saint Bavo’s Cathedral, you can visit the Museum of Fine Arts (MSK) in Ghent where the Ghent Altarpiece is being restored. Visitors will gain an excel-lent insight into the resto-ration work. The restorers are currently also present at the MSK every last Wednes-day of the month for a Q&A. Visitors may also be inter-ested to go on the Van Eyck walking tour of 15th century Ghent, which connects the three important locations:
the Museum of Fine Arts, the Caermersklooster (an old convent) and the Saint Bavo’s cathedral.
An exhibition on the work’s rich history, spanning almost six centuries, can be viewed at Ghent’s Caermersklooster for the duration of the restoration period. The exhibition is called ‘Het Lam Gods ont(k)leed!’ (The Ghent Altarpiece Revealed). The exhibition will be supple-mented with temporary exhibits focusing on specific themes, such as the origin of the wooden panels and the iconography of the work.
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Responsible editorVISITFLANDERS - Peter De WildeGrasmarkt 61 - 1000 Brussels
ContactVISITFLANDERSGrasmarkt 61 - 1000 [email protected]
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Copyright beeldmateriaal / Copyright imagesToerisme Vlaanderen / VISITFLANDERS, portret Margaretha van Eyck, Lukasweb / p 2: Lam Gods gesloten, Lucasweb / p 3: Visit Antwerpen, Mayer van den Bergh / p 4: Terras: Visit Antwerpen, Rubens aanbidding der Koningen: Lucasweb / p 5: Portrait of a Man: The National Gallery (London), Istock, / p 6 - 7: Art cabinet: Erwin Donvil, Mayer van den Bergh, Visit Antwerpen / p 8: Stad Antwerpen / p 10 - 11: Vist Antwerpen / p 12: Stad Antwerpen / p 13: OVL Kathedraal: Tom D’Haenens / p 14: foto 1: Stad Antwerpen, foto 2: Rubenshuis, foto 3: Stad Antwerpen , foto 4: studio Tuymans, foto 5: M HKA, foto 6: Visit Antwerpen, foto 7: Stad Antwerpen, foto 8: MOMU / p 16-17: Stad Antwerpen / p 18: Venus Frigida: Lucasweb, foto 1- 2: Stad Antwerpen, foto 3:Istock , foto 4: Stad Antwerpen, foto 5: Istock, foto 6: Istock , foto 7: Visit Antwerp / p 19: Kruisafneming: Lucasweb / p 20: Mayer van den Bergh / p 21: KMSKB: Tom D’haenens / p 22-23: Winterlandschap met schaatsers en vogelknip: KMSKB, J. Geleyns- Ro Scan / p 24: Dulle Griet: Mayer van den Bergh, Bokrijk: Luc Dae-lemans, Erwin Christis, Pieter van Stee / p25: Visit Brussels / p 26: Koninklijke Bibliotheek / p 27: Istock / p 28-29: Luc Bohez / p 30: KMSKB / p 31: foto 1: Luc Bohez, foto 2: Tom D’Haenens, foto 3: Mayer van den Bergh, foto 5: Istock / p 32: Portrait of a Man: The National Gallery (Lon-don) / p 33: Lam Gods, Lucasweb / p 34: Istock / p 35: Lucasweb / p 36: Lukasweb / p 37: Visit Gent / p 38: Visit Bruges, Michel Vaerewijck,
GROENINGE MUSEUMThe Groeninge Museum houses a world famous collection of Flemish Primitive paintings, with masterpieces by Jan van Eyck, Hans Memling, Hugo van der Goes, and Gerard David. An exciting and ambitious project covering this particular period of art is in preparation.www.museabrugge.be
SAINT JOHN’S HOSPITAL MUSEUMSaint John’s is a former pilgrim’s hospital and church that has been transformed into a museum. There is art and medical objects from the history of the clinic, plus a special section dedicated to one of Bruges’ most famous residents, the Flemish Primitive painter Hans Memling.www.museabrugge.be
HISTORIUM BRUGGEYou can experience what it was like to live in Bru-ges during the Golden Age in the Historium. See for yourself what medieval Bruges was really like: walk around the harbour, take a look in the workshop of Van Eyck and soak up the atmosphere in the streets. Or simply smile at the delicious scents and bawdy laughter coming from the bathhouse.www.historium.be
EXPERIENCE THE FLEMISH PRIMITIVESIN BRUGES IN THEIR NATIVE HEARTLAND
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