Antwerp celebrates Bruegel
Exhibitions, lectures, viewings, theatre and a city walk
Pieter Bruegel the Elder is the focus of an international celebration in 2019. Antwerp is joining in the festivities. Antwerp is where Bruegel learned his trade and where he worked for over ten years. He remained a presence in the city even after his death, thanks to his sons, Pieter the Younger and Jan. And when Bruegel’s name had faded from memory, it was the Antwerp collector Fritz Mayer van den Bergh who rekindled interest in his work with the rediscovery of the painting Dulle Griet (‘Mad Meg’).
In the spotlight
Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s Mad Meg is back home at the Mayer van den Bergh Museum in Antwerp after a two-year absence.
Exhibition
Saturday 05 October 2019 - Thursday 31 December 2020 from 10:00 to 17:00
Individual visitorsIt goes without saying that Bruegel and Fouquet are the real masters behind ‘Dulle Griet’ and The Madonna. Yet it is thanks to master collectors that we are able to enjoy these outstanding works today. Step into the world of connoisseurs Fritz and Florent and discover their relentless nose for beauty.
Plan your visit
Everything you need to know to plan and make the most of your visit to the Museum Mayer van den Bergh.
We have selected the works you definitely shouldn’t miss. You will be astonished, moved and awe-struck by these masterpieces.
Free visit
Wednesday 25 September 2019 from 10:00
Families, Individual visitors
Visit the Museum Mayer van den Bergh for free on the last Wednesday of every month.
About Fritz and his collection
The museum bears the name of Fritz Mayer van den Bergh, a man of means, art connoisseur and eminent collector. Who was he? What role does his mother play in the story? What did he collect? And where does Pieter Bruegel come into it all?
The name of Pieter Bruegel the Elder is known worldwide. However, this was not the case in Fritz Mayer van den Bergh’s day. Again, he was ahead of his time. Bruegel’s works are now the undoubted high points of the museum collection.
Guided tours
Fritz Mayer van den Bergh was a visionary collector. His masterpieces from the Middle Ages and Renaissance can be seen today in a homely and intimate atmosphere. Discover his story on one of our guided tours.