366 days of celebrating 225 years of the Museum of Fine Arts (MSK) Ghent
The MSK in Ghent is bustling with a wide range of activities until September 2023. Together with the revamped KMSKA in Antwerp, Ghent is also making cultural Flanders sizzle!
Officially the oldest museum in Belgium, the MSK was founded in 1798, and in 1802 its doors were opened to the public. It has systematically expanded its collections. First, works on the city of Ghent were exhibited, followed by art which had been taken from churches by the French occupiers, and then "living artists" were given a place until in the late 19th century when "old masters" were brought in. Now the MSK proudly flaunts a diverse collection of as many as 20,000 often European masterpieces from the 14th to the first half of the 20th century, 600 of which are on permanent display.
Reasons enough to shine the spotlight on these beauties for a year with two grandiose exhibitions and a historically themed trail through the permanent collection, spread throughout the museum's galleries, along with a multilingual audio guide and multimedia applications. This is also accompanied by a variety of events in Ghent's city districts, including a major art project and art-themed walks at your own pace or with a guide.
Be sure to visit the exhibition dedicated to the Ghent Impressionist painter, draughtsman, and graphic artist Albert Baertsoen (1866-1922). Now somewhat forgotten, but highly valued in the Ghent, Belgian and European art scene in the late 19th century. Or that other highlight, the almost completely (and unfairly) forgotten baroque master Theodoor Rombouts (1597-1637).