Page 155 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Belgium & Luxembourg

ANT WERP  153

by artists such as van Dyck and wealthy trad ing family, but
Rubens, sculpture, silver ware, instead of following in his
pottery, needle work and porridge fath er’s footsteps, he devoted
bowls, all belonging to the himself to collect ing works of
orphan age, or bequeathed to it. art. After his death at the age of
There is also a reproduction of 43, his mother created this
the original found ling drawer museum to display his col­
that used to be in Rochusstraat. lections. Among the many
treasures on display here
P Rockoxhuis are tapestries, fur niture,
Keizerstraat 12. Tel (03) 2019250. ivory carvings, medieval and
Open 10am–5pm Tue–Sun. & Renaissance sculpture, stained
∑ rockoxhuis.be glass, and a number of excellent
Nicolaas Rockox (1560–1640) paintings. In particular, Dulle
was the mayor of Antwerp as Griet (Mad Meg) is a powerful
well as a humanist, philanthro p­ image of a chaotic world,
ist and a friend and patron of Stained-glass window in the sandstone painted in 1562 by Pieter
Rubens. These attributes are church of St-Jacobskerk Brueghel the Elder (see p107).
reflected in his beautifully
renovated home – a series Lady and the Christ Child E Koninklijk Museum voor
of rooms set around a formal Surrounded by Saints, into Schone Kunsten
courtyard garden. They hold a which the artist inserted the See pp156–7.
fine collection of faces of himself and his
contemporary furniture fam ily. The rich interior of E Museum van
and miscellaneous St­Jacobskerk contains the Hedendaagse Kunst
artifacts, all interesting tombs of several notable Antwerpen (M HKA)
and well chosen. The Antwerp families, and Leuvenstraat 32. Tel (03) 2609999.
paintings include work a fine col lec tion of Open 11am–6pm Tue–Sun (until 9pm
by Pieter Brueghel the 17th­century art that Thu). & 0 = ∑ muhka.be
Younger, Rubens, includes sculp tures This museum fits perfectly into
Jordaens and van by Verbruggen as well a city famed for its sense of style
Dyck, as well as by Fishmarket Antwerp at as paintings by van and design. Once a 1920s
his neighbour, Frans the Rockoxhuis Dyck, Otto Venius – dockside grain silo and ware­
Snyders (1579–1657), who was Rubens’s house, the huge, sculptural
who was much admired by first master – and Jacob building has been transformed
Rubens, and painted the fruit Jordaens (see p107). into a series of unusual spaces to
and flowers in Rubens’s work. display works from the front line
E Rubenshuis of international contemporary
R St-Jacobskerk See pp154–5. art. It includes work by many
Lange Nieuwstraat 73–75. Open Apr– of the artists who helped place
Oct: 2–5pm daily. Closed Nov–Mar. E Museum Mayer van Belgium at the forefront of the art
& ∑ sintjacobantwerpen.be den Bergh scene in recent years, including
Noted as Pieter Paul Rubens’s Lange Gasthuisstraat 19. Tel (03) Luc Tuymans, Panamarenko, Jan
burial place, this sandstone 3388188. Open 10am–5pm Tue–Sun Fabre and Wim Delvoye.
church was built between 1491 & Easter Mon. & ∑ museum.
and 1656. Rubens’s tomb, in his antwerpen.be/mayervandenbergh E FotoMuseum
family’s chapel behind the high Fritz Mayer van den Bergh Waalse Kaai 47. Tel (03) 2429300
altar, displays his paint ing of Our (1858–1901) was the scion of a Open 10am–6pm Tue–Sun. =
∑ fotomuseum.be
The city’s excellent museum
of photography displays a broad
variety of historical artifacts and
images. The museum has now
undergone a complete make­
over and has embraced the
moving image by incorpor ating
the Antwerp Film Museum. The
latter offers regularly scheduled
film viewings. In addition to its
extensive per manent collection,
the museum mounts a series of
photo graphy exhibitions that
feature both local and inter­
Choice antique furniture and art in the Museum Mayer van den Bergh national artists.

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