Royal Museums of Fine Arts

 

After our morning with Christian on the historical walking tour and lunch, we headed to the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, a large complex also including the Museum of Ancient Art and the Magritte Museum. Fine art from the 1400s is presented here, with works by Pieter Bruegel, Rubens, Van Dyke, Hieronymus Bosch, and Rembrandt, to name a few.

 

In the museum's entry hall stands an imposing statue of Belgium's big-thinking king, Leopold II. His father, Leopold I, was put on the throne when Belgium was made an independent kingdom in 1830. But it was Leopold II who transformed the city and gave it grand institutions, like this museum.

We were divided into two groups and a very informed and animated docent, Jean-Philipe, led our group upstairs to the second level and the Flemish masters. This religious hanging from the early 1400s (made of wood?) was called "Scenes from the Life of the Virgin." The glossy colors are still so vivid--it almost looks like a three-dimensional carving on metal.

I really liked the colors of the gallery walls--for example, this red, which really brought out the colors in the paintings--and how the art was displayed. Some of the works are huge.

The painting I am photographing is Peter Paul Rubens' "The Adoration of the Magi," which he painted in the 17th century.



We spent a lot of time in front of a work by Dirk Bouts, "Penelen met de Gerechtigheid Van Keizer Otto," dated 1410. These two huge paintings show a story not illustrated elsewhere--of a king and queen and the killing of a man thought to be the queen's lover. Despite the queen's denial, she is also burned at the stake--an interpretation we could have never known without Jean-Philipe's description.

Sam and I also both loved the detail from the painting by Jan Verhas of these little girls. Painted in 1880, it is called "The School Review in 1878."



Unfortunately, time was short and we didn't get to everything nor go into the Magritte. I did, however, snap this silly "usie" while walking by the Magritte on our first day. After this busy day around Brussels, now I needed a coffee!