The Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp ( Dutch: ''Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten Antwerpen''; KMSKA) is a museum in

Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...

, Belgium, founded in 1810, that houses a collection of

painting Painting is a Visual arts, visual art, which is characterized by the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called "matrix" or "Support (art), support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with ...

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

s and

drawing Drawing is a Visual arts, visual art that uses an instrument to mark paper or another two-dimensional surface, or a digital representation of such. Traditionally, the instruments used to make a drawing include pencils, crayons, and ink pens, some ...

s 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 The Southern Netherlands, also called the Catholic Netherlands, were the parts of the Low Countries belonging to the Holy Roman Empire which were at first largely controlled by Habsburg Spain (Spanish Netherlands, 1556–1714) and later by the ...

since the 15th century. The neoclassical building housing the collection is one of the primary landmarks of the Zuid district of Antwerp. The majestic building was designed by

Jean-Jacques Winders Jean-Jacques Winders (14 May 1849, Antwerp – 20 February 1936, Antwerp) was a Belgian architect. He designed the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp with Frans Van Dijk, the monument and his own house ''De Passer'' from 1883, which was prot ...

(1849–1936) and Frans Van Dijk (1853–1939), built beginning in 1884, opened in 1890, and completed in 1894. Sculpture on the building includes two bronze figures of

Pheme In Greek mythology, Pheme ( ; Greek: , ''Phēmē''; Roman equivalent: Fama), also known as Ossa in Homeric sources, was the personification of fame and renown, her favour being notability, her wrath being scandalous rumours. She was a daughter ...

with horse-drawn chariots by sculptor Thomas Vincotte, and seven rondel medallions of artists that include Boetius à Bolswert, Frans Floris,

Jan van Eyck Jan van Eyck ( ; ; – 9 July 1441) was a Flemish people, Flemish painter active in Bruges who was one of the early innovators of what became known as Early Netherlandish painting, and one of the most significant representatives of Early Nort ...

Peter Paul Rubens Sir Peter Paul Rubens ( ; ; 28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640) was a Flemish painting, Flemish artist and diplomat. He is considered the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque painting, Flemish Baroque tradition. Rubens' highly charged comp ...

, Quentin Matsys, Erasmus Quellinus II, and Appelmans, separated by four monumental sculptures representing ''Architecture, Painting, Sculpture'', and ''Graphics''. The building stands in gardens bounded by the Leopold de Waalplaats, the Schildersstraat, the Plaatsnijdersstraat, and the Beeldhouwersstraat, formerly the site of the

Antwerp Citadel Antwerp Citadel (, ) was a pentagonal bastion fort built to defend and dominate the city of Antwerp in the early stages of the Dutch Revolt. It has been described as "doubtlesse the most matchlesse piece of modern Fortification in the World" and ...

History

The museum's collection began with the artworks owned by the Antwerp Guild of Saint Luke, which was active from the late 14th century to 1773. When the guild disbanded, its gallery of paintings went to the Academy of Fine Arts, which had been founded in 1663 with the involvement of David Teniers. The gallery had works by Peter Paul Rubens,

Jacob Jordaens Jacques (Jacob) Jordaens (19 May 1593 – 18 October 1678Jacques Jordaens
in the Netherlands Institute for Ar ...

, and

Cornelis de Vos Cornelis de Vos (1584 - 9 May 1651) was a Flemish painter, Drawing, draughtsman and art dealer. He was one of the leading portrait painters in Antwerp and is best known for his sensitive portraits, in particular of children and families. He w ...

. During French occupations in 1794 and 1796, art was looted from churches and other buildings in Antwerp; the pieces that were later recovered became part of the museum's collection. By 1817 the museum listed 127 items in its catalogue, mostly dating to the mid-16th and 17th centuries, with Rubens at the heart of the collection.

William I of the Netherlands William I (Willem Frederik; 24 August 1772 – 12 December 1843) was King of the Netherlands and List of monarchs of Luxembourg, Grand Duke of Luxembourg from 1815 until his abdication in 1840. Born as the son of William V, Prince of Orange, ...

helped the museum in various ways. In 1823 he donated three paintings, including an early work by

Titian Tiziano Vecellio (; 27 August 1576), Latinized as Titianus, hence known in English as Titian ( ), was an Italian Renaissance painter, the most important artist of Renaissance Venetian painting. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, near Belluno. Ti ...

—'' Pope Alexander IV presents Jacopo Pesaro to Saint Peter''—which became the museum's first foreign piece. He decreed a grant of 20,000 guilders to build the collection's contemporary art in 1827, but the

Belgian Revolution The Belgian Revolution (, ) was a conflict which led to the secession of the southern provinces (mainly the former Southern Netherlands) from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and the establishment of an independent Kingdom of Belgium. The ...

interfered. Only in 1873 did the museum begin to acquire living artists' works. A significant

bequest A devise is the act of giving real property by will, traditionally referring to real property. A bequest is the act of giving property by will, usually referring to personal property. Today, the two words are often used interchangeably due to thei ...

from a former mayor of Antwerp, Florent van Ertborn, added 141 works to the collection in 1840. Van Ertborn had collected Early Netherlandish art at a time when it was out of favour, but in the long run this addition ensured the museum's reputation. These works included Jan van Eyck's ''

Saint Barbara Saint Barbara (; ; ; ), known in the Eastern Orthodox Church as the Great Martyr Barbara, was an Early Christianity, early Christian Greek saint and martyr. There is no reference to her in the authentic early Christian writings nor in the origin ...

'' and '' Madonna at the Fountain'' and Rogier van der Weyden's '' Portrait of Philip de Croy'' (half of a diptych) and the

Seven Sacraments Altarpiece The ''Seven Sacraments Altarpiece'' is a fixed-wing triptych by the Early Netherlandish painting, Early Netherlandish artist Rogier van der Weyden and his workshop. It was painted from 1445 to 1450, probably for a church in Poligny, Jura, Poligny ...

. Also in the bequest were paintings by Hans Memling, Dieric Bouts, Joachim Patinir, Quinten Massys, Jean Fouquet, Simone Martini, Antonello da Messina, and Lucas Cranach. The museum closed to the public for major renovations at the end of 2011, reopening on 24 September 2022 after 11 years of work. The museum has been expanded with a new hall for modern art.

Collections

150px, Portrait of a Man with a Roman medal''">Portrait of a man with a Roman medal">Portrait of a Man with a Roman medal'' Artists exhibited in the museum include: *15th century **

** Jean Fouquet **

Rogier van der Weyden Rogier van der Weyden (; 1399 or 140018 June 1464), initially known as Roger de le Pasture (), was an Early Netherlandish painting, early Netherlandish painter whose surviving works consist mainly of religious triptychs, altarpieces, and commis ...

Hans Memling Hans Memling (also spelled Memlinc; – 11 August 1494) was a German-Flemish people, Flemish painter who worked in the tradition of Early Netherlandish painting. Born in the Middle Rhine region, he probably spent his childhood in Mainz. During ...

*16th century: ** Frans Floris de Vriendt ** Quinten Metsijs **

Joachim Patinir Joachim Patinir, also called Patenier ( – 5 October 1524), was a Dutch and Flemish Renaissance painting, Flemish Renaissance painter of History painting, history and Landscape painting, landscape subjects. He was Flanders, Flemish, from the ar ...

** Marten de Vos ** Gillis Coignet *17th century: ** Erasmus de Bie **

Jan Brueghel the Elder Jan Brueghel (also Bruegel or Breughel) the Elder ( , ; ; 1568 – 13 January 1625) was a Flemish painting, Flemish painter and Draughtsmanship, draughtsman. He was the younger son of the eminent Dutch and Flemish Renaissance painting, Flemish ...

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

Frans Hals Frans Hals the Elder (, ; ; – 26 August 1666) was a Dutch Golden Age painter. He lived and worked in Haarlem, a city in which the local authority of the day frowned on religious painting in places of worship but citizens liked to decorate thei ...

Jacob Jordaens Jacques (Jacob) Jordaens (19 May 1593 – 18 October 1678Jacques Jordaens
in the Netherlands Institute for Ar ...

Theodoor Rombouts Theodoor Rombouts (2 July 1597 – 14 September 1637) was a Flanders, Flemish painter who is mainly known for his Caravaggism, Caravaggesque genre painting, genre scenes depicting lively dramatic gatherings as well as religiously themed works. ...

*19th century: **

James Ensor James Sidney Edouard, Baron Ensor (13 April 1860 – 19 November 1949) was a Belgian painter and printmaker, an important influence on expressionism and surrealism who lived in Ostend for most of his life. He was associated with the artistic ...

Auguste Rodin François Auguste René Rodin (; ; 12 November 184017 November 1917) was a French sculptor generally considered the founder of modern sculpture. He was schooled traditionally and took a craftsman-like approach to his work. Rodin possessed a u ...

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 ...

Fernand Khnopff Fernand Edmond Jean Marie Khnopff (12 September 1858 – 12 November 1921) was a Belgian symbolist painter. Life Youth and training Fernand Khnopff was born to a wealthy family that was part of the high bourgeoisie for generations. Khnopf ...

Alexandre Cabanel Alexandre Cabanel (; 28 September 1823 – 23 January 1889) was a French Painting, painter. He painted historical, classical and religious subjects in the Academic art, academic style. He was also well known as a portrait painter. He was Napoleon ...

, '' Cleopatra Testing Poisons on Condemned Prisoners'' *20th century: ** Pierre Alechinsky **

René Magritte René François Ghislain Magritte (; 21 November 1898 – 15 August 1967) was a Belgium, Belgian surrealist artist known for his depictions of familiar objects in unfamiliar, unexpected contexts, which often provoked questions about the nature ...

** Jacob Smits ** Gustave Van de Woestijne **

Rik Wouters Hendrik Emil (Rik) Wouters (21 August 1882 – 11 July 1916) was a Belgian painter, sculptor and draughtsman. Wouters produced 200 paintings, drawings and sculptures in his 34 years before his illness-caused death. He died partway through th ...

Collection highlights

Saint Barbara of Nicodemia - Jan van Eyck - 1437.jpg, '' Saint Barbara of Nicomedia'' by

. 1437 Madonna omringd door serafijnen en cherubijnen, Jean Fouquet, (1454-1456), Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten Antwerpen, 132.jpg, '' Virgin and Child Surrounded by Angels'' by Jean Fouquet. Philippe de Croy, Rogier van der Weyden, (1460), Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten Antwerpen, 254.jpg, '' Portrait of Philippe I de Croÿ'' by

. 1460 Christus met zingende en musicerende engelen, Hans Memling, (1483-1494), Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten Antwerpen, 778.jpg, '' God the Father with Singing and Music-making Angels'' by

. Quinten Massijs (I) - Biddende Maria - 242 - Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp.jpg, '' Biddende Maria'' by Quentin Matsys. Jacopo Pesaro, bisschop van Paphos, door paus Alexander VI Borgia voorgesteld aan de heilige Petrus, Titiaan, (1503-1510), Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten Antwerpen, 357.jpg, '' Jacopo Pesaro, bishop of Paphos, being presented by Pope Alexander VI to Saint Peter'' by

. 1503 - 1510 Landschap met de vlucht naar Egypte, Joachim Patinir, (1516-1517), Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten Antwerpen, 64.jpg, '' Landscape with the Flight into Egypt'' by

. Rust tijdens de vlucht naar Egypte, Gerard David, 16de eeuw, Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten Antwerpen, 47FXD.jpg, '' Rest on the Flight into Egypt'' by

Gerard David Gerard David ( – 13 August 1523) was an Early Netherlandish painter and manuscript illuminator known for his brilliant use of color. Only a bare outline of his life survives, although some facts are known. He may have been the Meester ghera ...

. 16th century Jan Cornelisz. Vermeyen - Portrait of a man (Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, 564).jpg, '' Portrait of a Man'' by

Maarten van Heemskerck Maarten van Heemskerck (born Maerten Jacobsz van Veen; 1 June 1498 – 1 October 1574), also known as Marten Jacobsz Heemskerk van Veen, was a Dutch portrait and religious painter, who spent most of his career in Haarlem. He was a pupil of Jan ...

. 16th century Lucas Cranach d.Ä. - Caritas (Koninklijk Museum v. Schone Kunsten Antwerpen).jpg, '' Caritas (Lucas Cranach the Elder)'' by

Lucas Cranach the Elder Lucas Cranach the Elder ( ; – 16 October 1553) was a German Renaissance painter and printmaker in woodcut and engraving. He was court painter to the Electors of Saxony for most of his career, and is known for his portraits, both of German ...

. Frans Floris (I) - Het oordeel van Salomo, de twee moeders komen voor Salomo en ruziën met elkaar (1 Koningen 3-16-22) - 663 - Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp.jpg, '' The Judgement of Solomon'' by Frans Floris. Frans Floris - The Fall of the Rebellious Angels - WGA7947.jpg, '' The Fall of the Rebel Angels'' by Frans Floris. 1554 Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) - Venus frigida (1611) - kmska 001 28-02-2010 14-30-37.jpg, '' Venus Frigida'' by

. 1611 De verloren zoon, Peter Paul Rubens, (1618), Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten Antwerpen, 781.jpg, '' The Prodigal Son'' by

. 1618 Aanbidding door de koningen, Peter Paul Rubens, (1624), Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten Antwerpen, 298.jpg, ''

Adoration of the Magi The Adoration of the Magi or Adoration of the Kings or Visitation of the Wise Men is the name traditionally given to the subject in the Nativity of Jesus in art in which the three Magi, represented as kings, especially in the West, having fo ...

'' by Peter Paul Rubens. Anthony van Dyck - The Lamentation of Christ - WGA07441.jpg, '' The Lamentation over the dead Christ'' by

. Rembrandt van Rijn - De predikant Eleazar Swalmius, 1637 (KMSKA).jpg, '' The Preacher Eleazar Swalmius'' by

Rembrandt Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (; ; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), mononymously known as Rembrandt was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker, and Drawing, draughtsman. He is generally considered one of the greatest visual artists in ...

. 1637 Zoals de ouden zongen, piepen de jongen, Jacob Jordaens I, 1638, Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten Antwerpen, 677.jpg, '' The Old Folks Sing, The Young Folks Pipe'' by

Jacob Jordaens Jacques (Jacob) Jordaens (19 May 1593 – 18 October 1678Jacques Jordaens
in the Netherlands Institute for Ar ...

. 1638 Michaelina woutiers-santas ines y dorotea.jpg, '' Two Girls as Saint Agnes and Saint Dorothea'' by Michaelina Wautier. Stephanus Geraerdts, schepen in Haarlem, Frans Hals I, (1650-1652), Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten Antwerpen, 674.jpg, '' Portrait of Stephan Geraedts, Husband of Isabella Coymans'' by

. 1650-1652 Philips Wouwerman - The Rider's Halting Place.jpg, '' The Rider's Halting Place'' by

Philips Wouwerman Philips Wouwerman (also Wouwermans) (24 May 1619 (baptized) – 19 May 1668) was a Dutch painter of hunting, landscape and battle scenes. He became prolific during the Dutch Golden Age and joined the Haarlem Guild of St. Luke. Life and work P ...

. 17th century Nicolaes Maes - Portrait of a Seated Woman.jpg, '' Portrait of a Seated Woman'' by

Nicolaes Maes Nicolaes Maes (January 1634December 1693 (buried 24 December 1693)) was a Dutch Republic, Dutch painter known for his Genre painting, genre scenes, Portrait painting, portraits, religious compositions and the occasional still life. A pupil of Re ...

. 1676 Kmska Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres (1780-1867) - Zelfportret (1864) - 28-02-2010 13-37-05.jpg, ''

Self portrait Self-portraits are Portrait painting, portraits artists make of themselves. Although self-portraits have been made since the earliest times, the practice of self-portraiture only gaining momentum in the Early Renaissance in the mid-15th century ...

'' by

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres ( ; ; 29 August 1780 – 14 January 1867) was a French Neoclassicism, Neoclassical Painting, painter. Ingres was profoundly influenced by past artistic traditions and aspired to become the guardian of academic ...

. De intrige, James Ensor, 1890, Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten Antwerpen, 1856.002.jpeg, '' The Intrigue'' by

. 1890 Alfred Stevens - (1823-1906) - De Parijse sfinks (1867) - kmska 001 28-02-2010 15-06-35.jpg, '' The Parisian Sphinx'' by Alfred Stevens. 1875–1877 De man in de stoel, Henri De Braekeleer, (1875), Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten Antwerpen, 1845.jpg, '' The Man in the Chair'' by Henri de Braekeleer. 1875 James Ensor (1884) - De daken van Oostende 001.jpg, '' The Rooftops of Ostend'' by James Ensor. 1884 Vincent van Gogh - Aardappelrooister.jpg, '' Peasant Woman Digging Up Potatoes'' by

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

. 1885 Kmska Théo Van Rysselberghe (1862-1926) - Mevrouw Henry Van de Velde-Sèthe (1921) - 28-02-2010 13-11-02.jpg, '' Maria Sèthe, Afterwards Madame Henry Vande Velde'' by

Théo van Rysselberghe Théophile "Théo" van Rysselberghe (23 November 1862 – 13 December 1926) was a Belgian Neo-impressionism, neo-impressionist Painting, painter, who played a pivotal role in the European art scene at the turn of the twentieth century. Bi ...

. De strijkster, Rik Wouters, (1912), Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten Antwerpen, 1932.jpg, ''

Ironing Ironing is the use of an iron (appliance), iron, usually heated, to remove wrinkles and unwanted creases from fabric. The heating is commonly done to a temperature of , depending on the fabric. Ironing works by loosening the bonds between the lon ...

'' by

. 1912 Zittend naakt, Amedeo Modigliani, (1917), Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten Antwerpen, 2060.jpg, '' Sitting Nude'' by

Amedeo Modigliani Amedeo Clemente Modigliani (; ; 12 July 1884 – 24 January 1920) was an Italian painter and sculptor of the École de Paris who worked mainly in France. He is known for portraits and nudes in a modern art, modern style characterized by a surre ...

. 1917

References

External links

*
Virtual tour of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts
provided by

Google Arts & Culture Google Arts & Culture (formerly Google Art Project) is an online platform of high-resolution images and videos of artworks and cultural artifacts from partner cultural organizations throughout the world, operated by Google. It utilizes high-re ...

* {{authority control Art museums and galleries in Antwerp Art museums and galleries established in 1810 Museums established in 1894 1810 establishments in France Organisations based in Belgium with royal patronage 19th-century establishments in the Southern Netherlands

History

Collections

Collection highlights

See also

References

External links