Rubens and the museum Plantin-Moretus
The Museum Plantin-Moretus, located in the heart of Antwerp, is a printing plant and publishing house dating from the 16th century. The Plantin and Moretus family were the first printers on an industrial scale. That’s why the museum has this name.
If a name have to refer to Antwerp, it is one of Peter Paul Rubens. Rubens designed 24 title pages, illustrated books and painted portraits of the family, which are now part of the museum’s extensive collection. This Flemish Master and baroque legend worked closely with the family.
Bruges, the meeting place
Bruges was a flourishing commercial city. The city is an inspirational meeting place for numerous artists, in particular the Flemish Primitives, such as Jan van Eyck and Hans Memling.
Bruges’ many museums, such as the Groeninge Museum, St John’s Hospital, St Saviour’s Cathedral and the Church of Our Lady, exhibit several of their masterpieces.
Bruegel at home in Brussels
In1562, the Flemish Renaissance painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder settles in Brussels’ city centre.
His iconic masterpieces ‘Winter Landscape with Skaters and a Bird Trap’ and ‘Fall of Icarus’ can be admired in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Brussels.
Van Eyck and the Flemish Beguinages
In the Middle Ages, the tradition of the Beguinages developed. There are architectural complexes to house beguines. Those are religious women who dedicated their life to God and choose to live together in communities.
The Flemish beguinages consist of houses, churches, ancillary buildings and green spaces. Also, the beguinages are a place of unparalleled serenity, ideal for a quiet and relaxing walk. Jan Van Eyck’s daughter, Livina Van Eyck, joined a beguinage in the province Limburg, where she completed a spiritual journey.
Flemish Masters in the Cathedral of Our Lady
The UNESCO World Heritage List includes 26 belfries in Flanders. One of the belfries included on the list is the tower of the Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp. Not only the cathedral itself is impressive and worth a visit, it also houses prestigious works of art. About sixteen altarpieces of important Flemish masters from the 16-17th century are now to be admired in the Cathedral of Our Lady.
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