|
|
Museum of Modern Art (Belgian Museums of Fine Arts)
Address:
Place Royale 1-2
1000 Brussels
Phone: +32 / (0)2 / 508.32.11
Fax: +32 / (0)2 / 508.32.32
E-mail: info@fine-arts-museum.be
Website: http://www.fine-arts-museum.be
Open: daily from 10am to 5pm
Closed: Monday, January 1 and the second Thursday of January, May 1, November 1 and 11, December 25.
Price: between 2 € and 5 € - free admission the first Wednesday of each month from 1pm onwards
Visits: upon reservation at +32 (0)2/508 33 50
Services: library - museum shop - audio guides
Facilities: museum café - accessible to disabled persons
Accessibility: train/metro (stop: Gare Centrale); Streetcar 92 94; Bus 27 38 71 95 BM
Collection: Belgian and foreign works of the 19th and 20th c. from Impressionism over Surrealism till nowadays; Permeke, Broodthaers, Magritte, Delvaux, Ensor,...
Description: 20th century paintings, sculptures and drawings ranging from Fauvism to contemporary art, are displayed chronologically and thematically, offering a journey deep into the history of art from the early 20th century to the present.
Neo-classical works by Jacques-Louis David are exhibited alongside those of his pupil, Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres. Nationalist aspirations are expressed through creations of the Romantics: Eugène Delacroix, Théodore Géricault, Antoine Wiertz and Louis Gallait. Realism is illustrated by the works of pioneer Gustave Courbet, or by the strong social works of Constantin Meunier. Impressionist paintings by Alfred Sisley and Émile Claus, for example, are displayed alongside those of pointillists Theo Van Rysselberghe and Georges Seurat. In a different style, the Nabis and their expressive canvasses lay the groundwork of non-objective art. The hall devoted to James Ensor offers a comprehensive journey through the artist's career. Symbolist Fernand Khnopff is yet another major figure of the Belgian art scene at that time, as he dared to show the sensuality of women. In the early 20th century, Rik Wouters was emerging as the key figure of Fauvism in the province of Brabant. Expressionists such as Constant Permeke and Gustave De Smet also embarked on the road to modernism. Though the avant-garde took some time to break through in Belgium in the late 1920s, the creations of René Magritte emerge as some of the masterpieces of international surrealism. And this museum has one of the largest public collections of his works. Paul Delvaux followed in his wake. In 1948, the Cobra movement started its short yet prolific existence and was inspirational for many modern artists. In the very depths of the museum, the conceptual art of Marcel Broodthaers will bewilder many a visitor. Contemporary trends are represented by artists such as Wim Delvoye and Panamarenko.
Back
|
