The Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp ( nl, Koninklijke Academie voor Schone Kunsten van Antwerpen) is an art academy located in

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...

. It is one of the oldest of its kind in Europe. It was founded in 1663 by

David Teniers the Younger David Teniers the Younger or David Teniers II (bapt. 15 December 1610 – 25 April 1690) was a Flemish Baroque painter, printmaker, draughtsman, miniaturist painter, staffage painter, copyist and art curator. He was an extremely versatile ar ...

, painter to the Archduke Leopold Wilhelm and Don Juan of Austria. Teniers was master of the Guild of St Luke—which embraced arts and some handicrafts—and petitioned

Philip IV of Spain Philip IV ( es, Felipe, pt, Filipe; 8 April 160517 September 1665), also called the Planet King (Spanish: ''Rey Planeta''), was King of Spain from 1621 to his death and (as Philip III) King of Portugal from 1621 to 1640. Philip is remembered ...

, then master of the Spanish Netherlands, to grant a royal charter to establish a Fine Arts Academy in Antwerp. It houses the Antwerp Fashion Academy.

19th century

The Royal Academy developed into an internationally acclaimed institute for Fine Arts, Architecture and Design. From the nineteenth century on, the academy attracted young artists from abroad. Irish, German, Dutch, Polish artists looking for a solid classical training found their way to Antwerp. Under the direction of Gustave Wappers (1803-1874) and his registrar Hendrik Conscience, the academy faced significant restructuring. The academy's significant art collection was exhibited in its own gallery space. By 1890, this gallery would develop into the Royal Museum of Fine Arts (Dutch; Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten) and would move to its current location in Antwerp. In 1880, a promising young artist

Henry Van de Velde Henry Clemens van de Velde (; 3 April 1863 – 15 October 1957) was a Belgian painter, architect, interior designer, and art theorist. Together with Victor Horta and Paul Hankar, he is considered one of the founders of Art Nouveau in Belgium.' ...

enrolled at the Antwerp Academy. He would become one of the pioneering 20th century architects and designers. In 1885 and 1886,

Vincent van Gogh Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who posthumously became one of the most famous and influential figures in Western art history. In a decade, he created about 2,100 artworks, inc ...

was also to spend a short time at the Antwerp academy, prior to his departure to France. In 1885, King Leopold II commissioned the establishment of the National Higher Institute for Fine Arts Antwerp (Nationaal Hoger Instituut voor Schone Kunsten) as a unique post graduate program, inspired by the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris.

20th and 21st centuries

In 1946, the Architecture program became an independent institute, The National Higher Institute of Architecture. Another key moment in the history of the academy would be 1963. A unique new course ‘Fashion Design’ started. This course was moderately successful from the beginning years, but became renowned in the fashion world during the 1980s when “the

Antwerp Six The Antwerp Six refers to a group of fashion designers who graduated from Antwerp's Royal Academy of Fine Arts between 1980–81. The press began referring to them as a group beginning in about 1990, though the designers are united mostly by o ...

” designers (

Dirk Bikkembergs Dirk Bikkembergs (born 2 January 1959) is a Belgian fashion designer. Early life Dirk Bikkembergs was born in Cologne, Germany, as his father was in the Belgian Army. He lived most of his years in Diepenbeek, Limburg, Belgium. In 1982, B ...

, Walter Van Beirendonck,

Marina Yee The Antwerp Six refers to a group of fashion designers who graduated from Antwerp's Royal Academy of Fine Arts between 1980–81. The press began referring to them as a group beginning in about 1990, though the designers are united mostly by ...

, Dries Van Noten, Dirk Van Saene and

Ann Demeulemeester Ann Verhelst (born 29 December 1959), known professionally as Ann Demeulemeester, is a Belgian fashion designer whose label, Ann Demeulemeester, is mainly showcased at the annual Paris Fashion Week. She is known as one of the Antwerp Six in the ...

) became prominent alumni. Stylistically extremely diverse, these young friends had a huge impact on the contemporary fashion scene. The fashion program attracted more and more talents from all over the globe. With over 130 students it's by far the largest program in the visual arts and design department. In 1995, the Flemish higher educational system faced a radical metamorphosis. The Antwerp Academy and the Henry Van de Velde Institute were included as faculties in a bigger college structure, The University College of Antwerp (Dutch: ''Hogeschool Antwerpen''). However, the Higher Institute of Fine Arts was kept independent and to develop into a separate entity. en tempel bouwen voor de muzen, een korte geschiedenis van de Antwerpse Academie by Jan Lampo, April 1995 885/1985 een eeuw Nationaal Hoger Instituut voor Schone Kunsten te Antwerpen by L.Theo van Looj, 1985/411/7/ref> The Academy nowadays offers three distinctive programs: Visual Arts and Design, Conservation studies and a one-year dedicated teachers training. A body of 540 students (of whom 230 are international) work in the four main buildings located in the heart of the city: Mutsaardstraat (Photography, Silversmithing/Jewelry, Theatre Costume Design and Fine Arts), Nationalestraat (fashion) and Keizerstraat (graphic design). As of September 2013, the programs are offered by the "Artesis Plantijn Hogeschool Antwerpen", a fusion between Artesis Hogeschool Antwerpen and

Plantijn Hogeschool AP or in full Artesis Plantijn University College Antwerp ( nl, Artesis Plantijn Hogeschool Antwerpen), founded in 1995, is a non-profit public higher education institution located in the urban setting of the city of Antwerp (population range of ...

''Nurse of Painters''

Shortly after the founding of Antwerp Academy, three large paintings were executed for its meeting hall. ''Antwerp, Nurse of Painters'', by

Theodoor Boeyermans Theodoor Boeyermans, Theodor Boeyermans or Theodor Boeijermans (10 November 1620 – January 1678) was a Flemish painter active in Antwerp who painted Baroque history paintings and group portraits informed by the tradition of Peter Paul Rubens ...

(1665; 188 x 454 cm), promotes the city's recent artistic past. Portraits of

Peter Paul Rubens Sir Peter Paul Rubens (; ; 28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640) was a Flemish artist and diplomat from the Duchy of Brabant in the Southern Netherlands (modern-day Belgium). He is considered the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque tradit ...

and

Anthony van Dyck Sir Anthony van Dyck (, many variant spellings; 22 March 1599 – 9 December 1641) was a Brabantian Flemish Baroque artist who became the leading court painter in England after success in the Southern Netherlands and Italy. The seventh ...

watch over students as they practise the arts. At the centre is the allegorical ''Antverpia pictorum nutrix'' ("Antwerp, nurse of painters"). ''

Chronos Chronos (; grc-gre, Χρόνος, , "time"), also spelled Khronos or Chronus, is a personification of time in pre-Socratic philosophy and later literature. Chronos is frequently confused with, or perhaps consciously identified with, the Tit ...

'' accompanies other young students who present their artwork. The river god ''Scaldis'', a

personification Personification occurs when a thing or abstraction is represented as a person, in literature or art, as a type of anthropomorphic metaphor. The type of personification discussed here excludes passing literary effects such as "Shadows hold their ...

of Antwerp's river

Scheldt The Scheldt (french: Escaut ; nl, Schelde ) is a river that flows through northern France, western Belgium, and the southwestern part of the Netherlands, with its mouth at the North Sea. Its name is derived from an adjective corresponding to ...

, symbolises with his cornucopia the wealth and bounty of the city's artistic heritage.

Notable alumni

* Willis Seaver Adams * Willem Albracht * Lawrence Alma-Tadema * Wilhelm Busch *

George Edmund Butler George Edmund Butler ( – ) was a landscape and portrait painter specialising in oils and watercolours. Born in England, his family emigrated to New Zealand when he was 11 years old. After completing his schooling, he studied art at the Welli ...

* Jan Cockx * Georges Croegaert *

* Pieter Franciscus Dierckx * Marthe Donas * John Duncan * Frans-Andries Durlet *

Jan Fabre Jan Fabre (born 14 December 1958) is a Belgian multidisciplinary artist, playwright, stage director, choreographer and designer. Conviction for sexual assault and harassment In September 2018, twenty former members of Fabre's performing arts ...

* David Foggie * Frans Geerts * Jan Geeraerts * Demna Gvasalia * Dr. Hugo Heyrman *

Floris Jespers Floris Jespers (18 March 1889 in Borgerhout – 16 April 1965 in Antwerp) was a Belgian Avant-garde painter. After his graduation from the Antwerp Academy of Fine Arts, he hooked up with the poet Paul Van Ostaijen and joined the Antwerp avant- ...

Nicaise de Keyser Nicaise de Keyser (alternative first names: Nicaas, Nikaas of Nicasius; 26 August 1813, Zandvliet – 17 July 1887, Antwerp) was a Belgian painter of mainly history paintings and portraits who was one of the key figures in the Belgian Romantic-h ...

* Jef Lambeaux * Evert Larock * Devon Halfnight LeFlufy *

William Logsdail William Logsdail (25 May 1859 – 3 September 1944) was a prolific English landscape, portrait, and genre painter. He exhibited at the Royal Academy, the Royal Society of British Artists, the Grosvenor Gallery, the New Gallery (London), and ot ...

* Ford Madox Brown * Martin Margiela *

Gustav Metzger Gustav Metzger (10 April 1926, Nuremberg – 1 March 2017, London) was a German artist and political activist who developed the concept of Auto-Destructive Art and the Art Strike. Together with John Sharkey, he initiated the Destruction in A ...

Nat Neujean Nathanael Neujean (5 January 1923 – 4 February 2018) was a Belgian sculptor from Antwerp. A figurative artist, he mostly worked in plaster and bronze. His works are held in various international collections. He has been honored as a Grand Office ...

Jef Nys Jozef "Jef" Nys (30 January 1927 – 20 October 2009) was a Belgian comic book creator. He was best known for his comic strip ''Jommeke''. Biography Early years Jozef Nys was born in Berchem, Belgium in 1927.De Weyer, Geert (2005). "Jef Ny ...

Roderic O'Conor Roderic O'Conor (17 October 1860 – 18 March 1940) was an Irish painter who spent much of his later career in Paris and as part of the Pont-Aven movement. O'Conor's work demonstrates Impressionist and Post-Impressionist influence. Early life ...

* Walter Osborne *

Panamarenko Henri Van Herwegen (5 February 1940 – 14 December 2019), known by the pseudonym Panamarenko, was a prominent assemblagist Belgian sculptor. Famous for his work with aeroplanes as theme; none of which are able nor constructed to actually leave ...

Mommie Schwarz Samuel Leser Schwarz, known as Mommie (28 July 1876 – 19 November 1942) was a Dutch Jewish painter and graphic artist. He also worked as a designer of book covers. In 1920, he married Else Berg. Together they became an artistic couple and wer ...

* Hideki Seo * Heaven Tanudiredja *

Luc Tuymans Luc Tuymans (born 14 June 1958) is a Belgian visual artist best known for his paintings which explore people's relationship with history and confront their ability to ignore it. World War II is a recurring theme in his work. He is a key figure ...

* Kris Van Assche * Jan van Beers *

Haider Ackermann Haider Ackermann (born 29 March 1971) is a Colombian-born French designer of ready-to-wear fashion. He lives in Paris. Early life Born in Bogotá, Colombia in 1971, Ackermann was adopted at the age of nine months by a French Alsatian family. H ...

* Dries Van Noten * Piet Verhaert * Michel Marie Charles Verlat * Bernardus Weber *

Albert Edelfelt Albert Gustaf Aristides Edelfelt (21 July 1854 – 18 August 1905) was a Finnish-Swedish painter noted for his naturalistic style and Realist approach to art. He lived in the Grand Duchy of Finland and made Finnish culture visible abroad, before ...

Anne-Mie Van Kerckhoven Anne-Mie Van Kerckhoven (born 5 December, 1951) is a Belgian artist whose work involves painting, drawing, computer art and video art. Biography Anne-Mie Van Kerckhoven (also known as ''AMVK'') was born in Antwerp and lives in Antwerp and Berl ...

* Minju Kim *

Barış Manço Mehmet Barış Manço (born Tosun Yusuf Mehmet Barış Manço; 2 January 1943 – 1 February 1999), better known by his stage name Barış Manço, was a Turkish rock musician, singer, composer, actor, television producer and show host. Beg ...

References

External links

*
ap-arts.be
official website of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts
History Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp , AP School Of Arts
{{Authority control Culture in Antwerp Educational institutions established in the 1660s 1663 establishments in the Habsburg Netherlands Education in Antwerp