MUSEUM AAN DE STROOM | ‘Rare & Indispensable’, Flanders’ masterpieces, until 25 February 2024

Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, René Magritte, Francis Bacon, James Ensor, Henry Moore and Peter Paul Rubens are just a few of the world-famous names on display at the Museum Aan de Stroom (Museum At the Stream, MAS) in Antwerp. The exhibition ‘Rare & Indispensable‘ displays until 25 February 2024 a unique selection of works from the Flemish Masterpiece List.

Works of art, manuscripts and artefacts for which visitors would otherwise have to comb through Flanders are now temporarily on display in one place. Some of the pieces are on display for the first time. All of this is being done in honour of the 20th anniversary of the Flemish Outstanding Artefacts Decree (Vlaamse Topstukkendecreet).

’Rare & Indispensable’ takes visitors on an art history walk through gems from Flemish collections. Some 35 large and small museums, as well as churches, libraries and private collectors, are temporarily loaning out the masterpieces from their collections.

Each and every one of these works has been included in the Flemish Masterpiece List since 2003. The Decree ensures that masterpieces that meet the criteria of “rare and indispensable” may not simply be taken outside of Flanders, and that they are protected and preserved to the fullest extent possible.

The exhibition opens with a small stunner of some note. The 13,000-year-old engraved scroll stone from Museum De Kolonie in Lommel both opens the exhibition and is the oldest object on the Masterpiece List. In fact, experts say it is the oldest object in Flanders decorated by a human being. From there, an instructive trip through art history begins that will also amaze visitors aesthetically.

Mediaeval manuscripts, famous paintings by Hugo Van der Goes, Rubens, Jacob Jordaens, Ensor, Magritte and Bacon, sculptures by Lucas Faydherbe and Henry Moore, a drawing by Michelangelo (the only one in Flanders) as well as precious silver, an earth globe by Mercator and a rare piece of furniture by Pierre Gole, the furniture-maker for the French King Louis XIV, will stir the soul of any visitor. The latest work to be exhibited is ‘Great American Nude #45‘ by Tom Wesselmann from the 1963 American pop art.

Several restored works are also in the spotlight, such as the sculpture ‘John resting at the breast of Jesus‘ by Master Heinrich von Konstanz, the paintings ‘The Death of the Virgin‘ by Hugo Van der Goes, ‘Judith‘ by Jan Massijs, ‘The Gallery of Cornelis van der Geest‘ by Willem van Haecht and Rubens’ self-portrait from the master’s own house.

The MAS itself also preserves 6 recognised Flemish Masterpieces, of which the tile tableau ‘The Conversion of Saul‘ by Franchois Frans, is featured in the exhibition. Two other Masterpieces from the collection are on display in the free Visible Storage (Kijkdepot) on the second floor.

Plantin-Moretus

At the same time, the Museum Plantin-Moretus is placing its masterpieces, and those of fellow institutions in Flanders, in the international spotlight with the exhibition ‘From Scribble to Cartoon‘. Drawings from Pieter Bruegel to Rubens (17.11.2023 to 18.02.24). This exhibition displays 80 of the most lovely old drawings recognised on the Flemish Masterpieces list, a unique opportunity to see a number of unusual and resounding pieces side by side, such as Rubens’ sketchbook as a 12-year-old, Anton van den Wyngaerde‘s 10-metre-long ‘Panorama of Zeeland‘ and the extremely rare Italy sketchbooks of the sculptor Pieter Verbruggen. Along with names such as Frans Floris and Pieter Bruegel, they provide a stunning overview of who, why and how people drew in our regions in the 16th and 17th centuries.

The Flemish Department of Culture, Youth and Media celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Masterpieces Decree in 2023.

A visit

I should have read the press release before going. So I don’t have photo’s of all the highlights. That’s all right. I can return later. ‘Rare & Indispensable’ is very ‘un-MAS’ in its presentation.

It’s clear Flanders wants to show off its collection. The cynic in me sees a form of propaganda of Flanders’ investments in old art. That’s political. The current Flemish majority party N-VA prefers to invest in old art, in prestige projects, rather than in youth, performance and experimental art.

But the positive aspect is this exhibition also showcases how taxpayer’s money is (well) spent. And yes, some artefacts are really stunning. If you want, there’s an audioguide.