Page 67 - (DK Eyewitness) Top 10 Travel Guide - Brussels Bruges Ghent & Antwerp

THE UPPER T OWN  65

wind, string and keyboard 9 Musée Charlier
instruments from medieval Avenue des Arts 16, 1210 BRU.
times to the present. Chief Map 2 F2. Tel (02) 220 2691. @ 22, 29,
attractions include prototype 63, 65, 66. v 92, 93, 94. q Madou,
instruments by Adolphe Sax, Arts-Loi. Open noon–5pm Mon–Thu,
the Belgian inventor of the 10am–1pm Fri. Closed public hols.
saxophone, mini violins & 8 French & Dutch only.
favoured by street musi cians, ∑ charliermuseum.be
and a violin maker’s studio.
In 2000, the museum moved This quiet museum was once the
to its specially designed home of Henri van Cutsem, a
home in the renovated wealthy collector and patron of
Old England building, the arts. In 1890, he asked the
where there is much architect Victor Horta to redesign
more room – three floors his house as an exhib ition space
– in which to dis play this for his extensive collections.
world-class collection. The state room with marble floor at the When Van Cutsem died in 1904,
A popular feature Palais de Charles de Lorraine his heir, the sculptor Charlier,
of the museum is a cared for the house and the
unique infrared of Brussels during the mid-18th collections. On Charlier’s death
headset system, century. Few original features in 1925, the house and contents
which cleverly remain, as the palace was ran- were left to the city as a museum.
plays the music sacked by marauding French The Musée Charlier opened
of each instru- troops in 1794. The bas-reliefs in 1928. It contains paintings
ment as visitors at the top of the stairway, by a number of different artists,
Antique violin get nearer. representing air, earth, fire including portraits by Antoine
and water, reflect Charles de Wiertz (see p76), landscapes
Lorraine’s interest in alchemy. by Hippolyte Boulenger
8 Palais de Charles Most spectacular of all the and Guillaume Vogels, and
de Lorraine original features is the 28-point impressionistic still lifes by
star set in the floor of the James Ensor and Anna Boch.
Place du Musée 1, 1000 BRU. circular drawing room. Each The collection also includes
Map 2 D4. Tel (02) 519 5311. of the points is made of a a large number of sculptures
@ 27, 29, 38, 63, 65, 66, 71, 95. different Belgian marble taken by Charlier and others by Rik
v 92, 93. q Gare Centrale, Parc. from Charles de Lorraine’s Wouters, as well as glassware,
Open 9am–5pm first Sat of the personal mineral collection.
month. Closed public hols, Jul & porcelain, chinoiserie and
Aug, last week in Dec. & 8 for The governor was a keen silverware. Of special note are
details Tel (02) 519 5786. patron of the arts, and the the tapestries, some from the
young Mozart is believed to Paris studios of Aubusson, on
Hidden behind this Neo- have performed here. The the staircases and the first floor,
Classical façade are the few palace houses the Biblio thèque and the displays of Louis XV-
rooms that remain of the palace Royale (Royal Library) and the and Louis XVI-style furniture
of Charles de Lorraine, Governor Musée du 18ème siècle. on the first floor.

Musée Charlier, home to one of Belgium’s finest individual collections of art and furnishings

064-065_EW_Brussels.indd 65 10/01/17 10:54 am