ANTWERP | ‘Plantin’s Plants’ exhibition at Museum Plantin-Moretus until 2 August 2026

In 2026, the Museum Plantin-Moretus in Antwerp is celebrating the 500th birthday of Carolus Clusius (1526-1609), a doctor and botanist from the Low Countries. With that in mind, the museum is inviting you to come and see the most attractive botanical images from the 16th to the 20th centuries from its own collections, with the ‘Plantin’s Plants‘ exhibition.

“Our focus is on topics such as wild plants, trees, fungi, decorative flowers and fruit and vegetables, as seen in illustrations in old books, and the woodblocks used to print them, but also on exquisite prints and drawings from the modern era”, the museum says.

Together with Rembert Dodoens and Matthias Lobelius, Carolus Clusius was part of a botanical trio from the 16th century that laid the foundations for this important scientific discipline.

The majority of works by these authors were published by Christophe Plantin. The Museum Plantin-Moretus still has around 4,000 woodblocks in its collection that were used to print the botanical illustrations in those books.

The items on display in the exhibition were selected with the help of external partners, such as the Parks Service (Groendienst) of the City of Antwerp and Natuurpunt. Even the city poet, Esohe Weyden, has provided a floral contribution.

A visit

Thanh and I visited on opening day, which was also the start of spring. Isn’t 21 March the start of spring? Anyway, being Museum Pass holders, we had a quick look.

The exhibition focuses on a specific flower, plants, fruits, vegetables, and trees. I remember the apricot, the tomato, and the horse chestnut being on display. You see books, drawings, woodblocks.

Don’t forget the garden, where, when we were there, a few flowers looked very lively.