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 "St. Georges martyr"
Brussels carved
altarpiece. by breughel
When following the interesting circuit "Gothique-Renaissance-Baroque" (15 rooms) the visitor will admire a remarkable collection of carved wooden altarpieces from the 15th and 16th c. Some are in polychrome others in natural wood.
Several cities of Brabant (Antwerp, Brussels and Mechelen) had a considerable and most remarkable production of carved wooden altarpieces during the late Gothic period. They were highly esteemed and exported all over Europe. They were produced by the guild of woodcarvers and obeyed to severe guidelines. The selected wood was Baltic oak due to its overall uniformity. These altarpieces were very costly.
The museum has 13 carved altarpieces on display. The most famous and beautiful work of this art is the Martyr of St. Georges carved in (monochrome) oak in 1493 by Jan Borman from Brussels (room 57). The altarpiece is 5 m wide and presents in a striking way by its realism seven scenes of the martyr of St. Georges (304 after J.C.).
This world famous altarpiece is a wonder of the sculpture on wood. Directions: Metro station: schumann or merode
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I invite the lover of ornamental arts, when in Brussels, to follow the remarkable circuit "Gothique-Renaissance-Baroque" (15 rooms) showing the development of the sculpture and the decorative arts, more particularly the tapestries, between the 13th and 17th century, in the regions which constitute the present Belgium.
The Royal Museum of Art and History possesses the vastest and the most important collection of tapestries (150) in Belgium. 40 tapestries are on display in alternation to give a complete outline of the various centres of tapestries manufacture: Tournai (15th), Brussels (16th -17th), Audenaarde, Bruges and Mechelen. All these "Flemish" tapestries were widely exported over all Europe. In Brussels alone 15.000 persons were active in that field of decorative art.
Brussels was the most important centre. These tapestries show (not always!) the mark B B (Brussel in Brabant) on the lower edge. The Brussels "lissiers" (tapestry makers) distinguish their works by a main scenery surrounded with an architectural frame. With this practice, the tapestry becomes the copy of a painting. Famous painters (Rubens) contributed to the preparation of cardboards used by the "lissiers".
Not to miss during the visit is the 30 m long salon, with walls covered by eight tapestries. The visitor can see what was a "room of tapestries", such as there were in castles and European palaces in the 16th century.
In the same room is a weaving loom to answer the technical questions of the visitors.
The "lissiers" tapestry weavers used two type of weaving loom: the horizontal loom called "basse lisse" and the vertical one "haute lisse". In both case the weavers worked on the back side. It has been calculated that one "lissier" would weave about 1 square meter in one month!
Remark: the strict ban to photograph obliges me to insert a photo of a Brussels tapestry which is not of this museum.
Open: Tuesday to Friday 9.30 - 17 h. WE 10 - 17 h.
Closed on Mondays.
No photos allowed. Directions: Metro station: schumann or merode
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The Royal Museum of Art and History is an important one (60.000 m²) that covers all the artistic disciplines (except painting, see museum of Fine Arts), of the five continents (except Sub-Saharan Africa, see Museum of Central Africa, Tervuren).
The collections are divided into four ensembles:
1° ANTIQUITY with the Near East (closed for renovation), Egypt, Greece, Rome, Byzantine and Eastern Christian Art. The objects on display are good but not exceptional (this is not Le Louvre or the British Museum). The best section, in my opinion, is the Egyptian collection assembled thanks to the Belgian Egyptologist Jean Capart. Remarkable is the relief portrait of Queen Tiy, married to Amenophis III (1375 a. J.C.) and the so called "Lady of Brussels". I already visited this museum when I was a kid and felt very impressed by the mummies of which the skeleton is partly apparent. A macabre start for my Egypt mania.
2° NATIONAL ARCHAELOGY. Prehistory, Gallo-Roman civilisation in Belgium. The Merovingian civilization is closed for renovation.
3° NON-EUROPEAN CIVILIZATIONS. Islam (a new room on Islam art has been opened on 22/02/2008) The rooms on South-East Asia are closed (March 2009).
4° EUROPEAN ARTS AND CRAFTS. Mosan Art, from the Gothic to the Baroque, from the Baroque to the 20th century, Specific materials.
The collections of art and craft works from the Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque periods are very interesting and among the highlights of this museum. I will comment them in a special tip.
NOTE: Rooms closed for renovation March 2009:
- Salle des textiles coptes
- Salle des Mérovingiens
- Salles de l'Asie du Sud-Est
- Salle Costumes et dentelles
- Salle des instruments de précision
- Circuit des Arts décoratifs belges du début du XXe siècle
Permanent collections open Tuesday - Friday 9.30 - 17.00h; WE 10.00 - 17.00h.
Closed Monday and 01/01, 01/05, 01/11, 11/11 and 25/12.
Entrance 5€ (reduced 4 and 1, 5 €)
No photos allowed. Directions: Metro station: schumann or merode
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Around 1850 the area of the Jubilee Park was a training ground for the Civil Guard. In 1875, architect Gédéon Bordiau drew the first plans of exhibition halls to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Belgian Kingdom (1830 -1880).
The project was completed in 1910 and the Jubilee site received its present form: two wings, consisting of large halls, connected to each other by semi-circular colonnades and as an architectural eye catcher, the impressive three-arched arch of triumph.
The triple arch by the French architect Charles Girault, in Louis XVI style, is 45 m high and 30 m wide. The quadriga at the summit represents "Le Brabant élevant le drapeau national" (Brabant waving the national flag).
This arch of triumph was built at the expenses of king Leopold II.
Living in Brussels I was not fully aware of the architectural value of the "Cinquantenaire" until I visited Berlin and its Brandeburger Tor and made the aesthetic (not historical) comparison which is to the advantage of the "Cinquantenaire"!
The Cinquantenaire halls host three museums:
The Royal Museum of the Army and Military History in the northern wing.
The Royal Museums of Art and History in the southern wing.
The "Autoworld". Directions: Metro station: schumann or merode
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 Musée Royal de l'Armée - Salle
historique. by breughel, 2 more photos
This was a green area "Jubilee Park" where exhibition halls were built to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Belgian Kingdom in 1880.
For the 1910 World Exhibition a large number of military objects were collected here to give the visitor an idea of the history of Belgian armed forces in the 19th century. This was the start for the Musée de l'Armée / Museum van het Leger (Museum of the Army).
After World War I the collection grew considerably as well as after WW II; the little Belgium being each time in the "eye of the cyclone".
In 1972 an Air and Space Department was inaugurated and in 1980 an Armoured Vehicles Department was formed. In 1986, an important ancient (medieval) Arms and Armour collection was transported from the Porte de Hal / Hallepoort to the Museum.
Presently the Museum of the Army is still renovating and expanding. From my visits to military museums in Europe I can say that it is one of the most important museums for the period of the 19th and 20th centuries. I observed on my last visits that it attracts more and more foreigners. They are now nearly half of the more than 250.000 visitors per year
Admission Free
Open from Tuesday until Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 1:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.
Closed on Mondays, January 1, May 1, November 1, December 25, and election days Directions: Metro station: schumann or merode
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La majorité des "coucous" exposés proviennent de constructeurs français. Mais le plus ancien modèle, largement restauré, est un triplan Bataille (constructeur belge) de 1911.
Avec la guerre apparaît le Farman MF 11 (1914) qui était un bombardier transportant 18 bombinettes de 7 Kg lancées à la main.
Plus connus et plus glorieux grâce aux "as" français comme Guynemer, Fonck, Nungesser sont les avions de chasse Nieuport appelé "Bébé" parce que la superficie totale des ailes n'était que de 13 m2 et le Spad de 18 m2 fait pour la vitesse (max. 234 km/h) et les évolutions brutales du combat. Autre avion français bien noté pendant cette guerre le Caudron G3.
Un très rare hydravion français Schreck FBA type H de 1915 est également montré.
Du côté production britannique on peut voir un Sopwith Camel et un rare exemplaire du Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter à tir synchronisé à travers l'hélice ainsi qu'un Bristol Fighter F2B et un RAF RE8.
Du côté allemand le musée présente un très rare Halberstadt non restauré avec ses marques d'origine. Directions: Metro station: schumann or merode
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The planes of WW II are essentially British with two Spitfire, easily recognised with their elliptical wings, one model MK IX of 1942, the most build type, and a MK XIV.
The other famous plane of the Battle of Britain the Hawker Hurricane is shown with a type II C plane of 1941. Generally the Spitfire would intercept the German fighters leaving Hurricanes to concentrate on destroying the bombers.
Most interesting is the De Havilland Mosquito MK30, a british twin-engine aircraft; it used a plywood structure and operated most often as a fighter-bomber. Mosquitos were especillay known in the occupied countries because they were used to perform bombing raids on Gestapo headquarters in Copenhague, Den Haag and the prison of Amiens.
A similar attack was made in 1943 on the building of the Gestapo in the centre of Brussels by Jean de Sélys a Belgian pilot who had joined the RAF and was flying on a Hawker Typhoon.
In this section on WW II there are two transport aircraft: a german Junkers Ju 52/3m and the well known Douglas DC-3. From Douglas there is also a bomber the Invader A26 (1944).
There are no German fighters on show, only two observation aircraft. Directions: Metro station: schumann or merode
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The Brussels museum is number one on planes of WW I.
The oldest model is a Belgian triplan Bataille from 1911.
A replica of a Voisin-Farman biplane is now (spring 2008) under construction. This plane, with baron Pierre de Caters as pilot, was the first to fly in the Belgian skies in 1908.
Most planes from WW I are French starting with a Farman MF 11 (1914). This was a bomber carrying 18 small bombs of 7 kg thrown by hand.
Better known are the fighter planes Nieuport called "Baby" because the total wing surface was only 13 sq.m. and the Spad of 18 sq.m. build for speed (max. 234 km/h) and diving ability. These planes were flown by the "aces" fighter pilots Guynemer, Fonck, and Nungesser.
There is also a Caudron G3 and a very rare seaplane Schreck FBA type H of 1915.
From British production one can see a Sopwith Camel and a rare exemplar of a Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter. It was the first allied fighter aircraft to be equipped with a synchronised machine gun, mounted above the engine and designed to fire between the propeller blades. Also on display are a Bristol Fighter F2B and a Royal Aircraft Factory RE8.
On the German side the museum shows a Halberstadt C.V which is the only exemplar still in existence. Directions: Metro station: schumann or merode
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 Retable bruxellois en
polychromie. by breughel
Le circuit des Arts décoratifs du Moyen Âge à l’époque Baroque est intéressant par ses sculptures, mobilier, orfèvrerie, céramiques et tapisseries comme déjà évoqué dans un autre commentaire.
Tout à fait remarquables sont les retables sculptés brabançons. Ces retables en bois sculpté en polychromie ou en chêne naturel sont aux XVe et XVIe siècles une spécialité de Bruxelles, Malines et Anvers et exportés dans toute l'Europe.
Plusieurs artisans participaient à leur confection. Le bois de chêne était importé de Pologne pour répondre aux critères de qualité. Déjà à l'époque il s'agissait d'œuvres d'art d'un coût très élevé.
Le musée présente treize retables dont (salle 57) l’une des plus belles œuvres de cet art soit le Martyre de St. Georges : un retable de chêne (monochrome) sculpté en 1493 par Jan Borman éminent sculpteur bruxellois. Le retable a environ 5 m de large et présente de façon saisissante par son réalisme les sept scènes du martyre de St. Georges (304 après J.C.)
Une pure merveille de la sculpture sur bois.
Remarque: étant donné l'interdiction de photographier le retable polychrome Bruxellois montré n'appartient pas au musée. Directions: Metro station: schumann or merode
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One of the major departments of the army museum is the Aviation department hosted in a very large gallery (nearly 200 m long, 40 m high) dating from the national exhibition of 1880.
The air museum started in 1972 with some thirty aircraft but, thanks to a large-scaled international exchange campaign and the reputation of having skilful restoration teams made from volunteers and members of the Belgian Air Force, it displays now 130 aeroplanes.
What surprises is the diversity of the machines and countries. NATO countries of course but also Sweden and the former Soviet Union.
Another surprise is that these planes are stored above each other with on top a large civilian jet "Caravelle" which was used by many companies in Europe in the sixties and seventies.
The collection of planes from the First and Second World Wars or the interwar and post-war periods is exceptional. Some of them, including the Nieuport 23, the Schreck seaplane and two German observation planes from the First World War are very rare and exceptional.
I will detail them by periods in my further tips.
I heard that this part of the army museum is going to be renovated and will be closed. When is not yet clear. This spring (2008) another four historical planes are added to the collection.
Admission Free.
Open from Tuesday until Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 1:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.
Closed on Mondays, January 1, May 1, November 1, December 25, and election days
Photos are allowed.
There is no heating in this gallery; in winter it is better to keep your coat on. Directions: Metro station: schumann or merode
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