Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Antwerp, Belgium

The Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, founded in 1810, houses a collection of paintings, sculptures and drawings from the fourteenth to the twentieth centuries. This collection is representative of the artistic production and the taste of art enthusiasts in Antwerp, Belgium and the Northern and Southern Netherlands since the 15th century. The museum is closed for renovation until the end of 2017.

The neoclassical building housing the collection is one of the primary landmarks of the Zuid district of Antwerp. The majestic building was designed by Jacob Winders (1849–1936) and Frans van Dijk (1853-1839), built beginning in 1884, opened in 1890, and completed in 1894. Sculpture on the building includes two bronze figures of Fame with horse-drawn chariots by sculptor Thomas Vincotte, and seven rondel medallions of artists that include Boetius à Bolswert, Frans Floris, Jan van Eyck, Peter Paul Rubens, Quentin Matsys, Erasmus Quellinus II, and Appelmans, separated by four monumental sculptures representing Architecture, Painting, Sculpture, and Graphics.

References:

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Museums in Belgium

User Reviews

James Bryan (4 months ago)
Bring headphones to do the tour on the app. The app has a few different tours, each painting on the tour has a short podcast attached to it. We did the top 20 tour stopping to listen about other paintings we were interested in. The second floor with the old masters was the best. I wish they had a tour just for the Rubens as I am very interested in him. I found some of the placards next to the paintings had an audio symbol on it but there wasn't in the app. We spent about 3 hours there.

Thierry HG (4 months ago)
The Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp is truly exceptional! Our group visit was a fantastic experience. Despite being a fairly large group, the staff was incredibly accommodating and took the time to answer all of our questions thoroughly. The collection is breathtaking, with an impressive range of artworks beautifully displayed in a stunning setting. Whether you’re an art enthusiast or just looking for a cultural experience, this museum is a must-visit. Highly recommended!

Filip De Beule (5 months ago)
Great museum featuring seven centuries of art from Flemish primitives to expressionists. Temporary exhibition on James Ensor is definitely worth a visit.

jan hens (5 months ago)
I try to visit on Thursday nights, when the museum stays open until 10 pm. You might be able to catch a performance or a concert. After your visit, enjoy drinks in the majestic entrance hall.

runningdogyankee (5 months ago)
Culture vultures will love this place. Splendid grand galleries with a great mix of art, some on a stupendous scale. It has a really lovely cafe, bar and restaurant exquisitely renovated in a nouveau art deco style. The cafe/bar shuts at closing time, but the restaurant remains open after hours for those with reservations.

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Around 120 CE, both theaters were renovated in the Roman style.

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