The Royal Museum of Fine Arts reopens
Soon, you will be able to admire the masterpieces of Peter Paul Rubens, Jan van Eyck, Anthony Van Dyck, Hans Memling, James Ensor again, and many more when the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA) reopens after eleven years of renovations. It doesn’t get more glorious than this.
Saturday, September 24th, 2022, is a very special day for anyone with a love for the arts. On this date, the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA) will finally reopen its doors! For eleven long years, this magnificent temple to the arts was closed to the public out of necessity. The iconic building was in dire need of a thorough restoration and expansion. That took some time.
There was much to be done. The museum’s interior and exterior were both addressed. The facade was restored, and a new mosaic enlivened the entrance. Every square inch of the interior received attention, and a stately new museum garden was created to enhance the visitor experience further. Transforming the building’s four existing terraces also expanded the museum’s capacity. Redefining these areas has gained KMSKA a remarkable 40% more exposition space. These historical premises are now ready to face the future. It was a long journey, but it’s almost over now.
After the long wait, we look forward to a joyous, poignant reunion with the very best that our Flemish Masters – and their international colleagues – have to offer glorious splendor, magnificence, and masterpieces. The new Rubens Hall will be the main focal area of the updated KMSKA. As the name indicates, this hall centers around the altarpieces of Baroque master Peter Paul Rubens. It is Antwerp’s ode to one of its greatest citizens.
There is also plenty of room for other greats, of course: James Ensor, for example. He is one of the most important innovators behind countless modernist trends. The KSMKA is home to the world’s largest collection of his works. The updated museum paints an effervescent picture of his pioneering artistic career.
Besides paying particular attention to the Flemish Masters, the updated KMSKA also contrasts them with their successors. It’s as if they’ve crossed the centuries and entered into dialogue with their modern counterparts.
That’s just the beginning of all the exceptional offerings at Antwerp’s Royal Museum of Fine Arts. As Flanders’ largest museum, KMSKA rejoices in a collection of over 8,000 works of art, approximately 650 of which will be on permanent display under the new arrangement. From September 24th, we will all be able to share in this bounty again. Interested? Tickets are now on sale. See you there!
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Eleven years in the making, meet Antwerp’s revamped Royal Museum of Fine Art.
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Eleven years in the making, meet Antwerp’s revamped Royal Museum of Fine Art
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