Museums, Brussels

"La Chute d'Icare" on display at the "Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique" is not a painting of Pieter Bruegel the Elder according to the results of twenty years scientific analysis made by Dominique Allart from the University of Liège and Christina Currie, from the Institut royal du Patrimoine artistique (Irpa).

Hereafter the text as published in La Libre Belgique of 9/11/2011.

Le célèbre tableau représentant la chute d'Icare des Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique n'est pas l'oeuvre de Bruegel l'Ancien, ressort-il de l'étude de deux chercheuses belges, Dominique Allart, de l'Université de Liège, et Christina Currie, de l'Institut royal du Patrimoine artistique (Irpa), réalisée dans le cadre d'un ouvrage sur les Bruegel qui rend compte de vingt années d'analyses scientifiques. La conclusion des deux chercheuses est sans appel et met un terme aux controverses qui entouraient le tableau depuis de nombreuses années. "Nous avons réuni un faisceau d'éléments convergents qui nous permet de dire définitivement qu'il ne s'agit pas d'un original de Bruegel", explique Dominique Allart, interrogée par l'agence Belga.
En effet, lors son acquisition par les Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique en 1912, le tableau représentant la chute d'Icare avait été acheté comme une copie d'un original de Bruegel. Dans les années suivantes, certains ont cependant affirmé qu'il s'agissait d'un authentique et cette idée s'est progressivement installée. Mais des soupçons persistaient. Il fallait donc une investigation approfondie pour élucider la question."

Translation by Google (not corrected):
"The famous painting of the Fall of Icarus Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium is not the work of Bruegel the Elder, it is clear from the study of two Belgian researchers, Dominique Allart, the University of Liege, and Christina Currie, of the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage (IRPA), conducted as part of a book on Bruegel which reflects twenty years of scientific analysis. the conclusion of two researchers is final and puts an end to the controversy that surrounded the table for many years. "We have assembled a body of converging elements that allows us to say definitively that this is not an original by Bruegel," said Dominique Allart , interviewed by the agency Belga.
In fact, when it was acquired by the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium in 1912, the painting of the Fall of Icarus was purchased as a copy of an original by Bruegel. In the following years, however, some have claimed it was an authentic and the idea has gradually installed. But the suspicions persisted. It was therefore a thorough investigation to elucidate the question. "

Next year I'll have to go back to the Vienna KHM to see real P. Bruegel the Elder paintings.

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The excellent Musée Royal des Beaux-Arts of Belgium (ref. here my tips) opened on June 2nd, 2009 the “Musée Magritte Museum” located in a five level mansion at the Place Royale; that is very close to the main Royal Museums of Fine Arts.

There are about 250 works displayed on 2500 m². These works come from the existing collection of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, bequests of Hamoir Scutenaire and Georgette Magritte as well as gifts and loans.

I like to call Magritte the "Emperor of Surrealism" with reference to his most popular works "Empires des Lumières". He was born in Lessines in 1898 and died in Brussels in 1967.
The photo here shows the décor by Warburg of the museum on the Place Royale during the works. The painting is one of the "Empires des Lumières".

NOTE: THE MUSEUM HAS A LOT OF SUCCESS: 1.000.000 VISITORS IN TWO YEARS!
60% FOREIGNERS. THERE ARE QUEUES SO THAT IT IS ADVISABLE TO BOOK ONLINE AND RESERVE YOUR DAY AND HOUR.
http://onlineticketing.fine-arts-museum.be

Access for individual visitors :
Rue de la Régence 3 – 1000 Brussels
For groups: Place Royale – 1000 Brussels
Open Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 to 17 h. On Wednesday until 20 h.
Closed on Monday, January 1st, the second Thursday of January, May 1st, November 1st and 11th, December 25th
Prices (2011):
8 € adults
5 € discount for seniors, adult groups min. 15 pers.
2 € discount for students (18- 25 year), school groups min. 12 persons.
0 € Friends of the Museums, disabled and companion, unemployed, children under 18 years (accompanied by an adult)
Tickets booking
http://onlineticketing.fine-arts-museum.be
Phone: 32 (0)2 508 33 33

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Following my comments about the Flemish Primitives of the 15th c. (ref. my tip here) I would like to continue the visit to the ANCIENT ART MUSEUM with the 16th century artists and room 31 where are on display 5 paintings of Pieter Bruegel the Elder including the famous "Census at Bethlehem", "Landscape with the Fall of Icarus" and my favoured one "Winter Landscape with Skaters and Bird Trap".
I always liked this landscape because it is a real landscape which could be found south of Brussels a few centuries ago. The type of village church represented in the painting still exists.

The "Fall of Icarus" is the only painting of Pieter Bruegel with a scene of the mythology.
I was always impressed by the indifference of the peasant, the shepherd and the fisher for the tragedy of Icarus drowning himself. Nobody cares for the cry of horror of the poor young man!
One should observe that this painting was made at the beginning of the Renaissance when the Italians dominated the art with mythological and religious, often grandiloquent, themes.
Bruegel, although he had been to Italy, ignored voluntarily this trend even in his biblical scenes where the ordinary village people and the landscape supersede the religious event.
Bruegel the Elder was therefore unique in his century.
Are also on display three paintings of his elder son Pieter (II) Brueghel the Younger. These are excellent copies of his father's work. (The son used to sign his name with an "h" while his father abandoned the "h" around 1559).

Opening hours:
Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (ticket office closes at 4 p.m.)
Closed on Mondays, January 1, second Thursday of January, May 1, November 1 and 11, December 25.
Entrance fee: 8 euro. Reduced 5 euro.
Free on the first Wednesday afternoon of each month.

NEW! THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART (another part of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts) IS CLOSED for renovation works from February 2011 till its reopening in 2012 .

The MUSEUM of ANCIENT ART (part of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts) is one of the finest European paint museums.

Concerning this Ancient Art department - 15th century, there is sometimes confusion between Flemish and Dutch painters which I would like to clarify.
There are indeed museums who mention "Early Netherlandish", "Southern Netherlandish" for painters who belong to the Flemish school, the so called "Flemish Primitives". The reference to the Netherlands is correct from a geo-political point of view when Belgium and the present Netherlands were united until the end of the 16th century, when separation occurred between the southern catholic provinces and the northern independent Calvinist republic.
But from a point of view of art the term "Netherlandish" is misleading as this Flemish school of the 15th century can not be mixed with the Dutch school reaching her summit in the 17th century with Vermeer and Rembrandt.
The correct term of "Primitifs Flamands" appeared in 1902 at an exhibition in Bruges. The Flemish "Primitives" were in fact revolutionary pioneers by developing space and perspective in the pictorial art.

The great names of this school are the brothers Van Eyck, Le Maître de Flémalle (= Robert Campin?), Rogier van der Weyden, Petrus Christus, Thierry Bouts, Juste de Gand, Hugo van der Goes, Jérôme Bosch, Hans Memlinc , Gerard David.
Some of these painters were born in the present Holland like Jerome Bosch and Thierry Bouts but worked in the southern provinces, or were from Tournai in the present Walloon part of Belgium. Next to these great masters there were a number of "Petits Maîtres".
The Flemish art of the 15th c. had a great influence in other countries, Germany, Italy, Holland, France and especially Spain.

One might think that the Flemish Primitives did only paint religious subjects. Not at all, the portraits were very important; more than 500 have reached us.
There is a beautiful portrait, attributed to Juan de Flandes, "La fillette à l'oiseau mort", a painting which by itself justifies a trip to the Musées Royaux des Beaux Arts, Brussels.

Opening hours:
Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (ticket office closes at 4 p.m.)
Closed on Mondays, January 1, second Thursday of January, May 1, November 1 and 11, December 25.
Entrance fee: 8 euro. Reduced 5 euro.
Free on the first Wednesday afternoon of each month.

NEW! THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART (another part of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts) IS CLOSED for renovation works from February 2011 till its reopening in 2012 .

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We took the subway to the Army Museum to see a different part of the city. This is a nice neighborhood, but very quiet and deserted compared to the area around the Grand Place.

Though we did not go in the museum, I am told it covers military history from the Middle Ages to the present. It is open Tuesday through Sunday from 0900-1645 (closed from 1200-1300 for lunch!). Admission is free.

The wonderful triple arch was completed in 1905, just in time for the 75th anniversary of Belgian independence. In 1910, the two halls beside the arch were finished, but one was destroyed by fire in 1956.

The Army museum began as a temporary display for the 1910 World Exposition and has since been a permanent fixture of the Belgian museum scene.

Bruxelles en Scene; Brussel in de Kijker; Brussel on Stage.
I haven't been there but from what I read on their webpage it must be an total spectacle in different parts that will reveil the secrets of the city Brussels.

Cfr Norali you can also go here to inform about cheap tickets for other exhibitions/events.

Victor Horta was the father of Art Nouveau design and architecture. His home and studio is now a museum. If you love art or architecture, or you just want to experience something unique, then I would highly suggest visiting the Vicotor Horta Museum. This museum is just incredible. Victor Horta designed everything, nothing is left to chance. The colors and soft curves are unusally soothing and a feast for your eyes. Wonderful bookstore as well. It's a little out of the way, but well worth the trip. There is also a walking tour around the neighborhood of other art nouveau buildings.

Address
Rue Américaine 25

Location
Off chaussée de Charleroi

Transportation
Tram: 81, 82, 91, or 92

GUIDED TOURS....

From HORTA to HORTA.....

The Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, Victor Horta's ART DECO masterpiece in the heart of Brussels.

It was recently renovated , with now almost double the available exhibition space....

Horta's unique architectural concept is reborn...

A MUST VISIT....

GUIDED TOURS:

EVERY SUNDAY AT 12am (1 HOUR) NOT in July and August.

Reservations not necessary.....