Museum of Fine Arts, Ghent

The Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent is a prominent art museum located on the eastern side of the Citadelpark. The museum boasts a rich collection of approximately 9,000 artworks, ranging from the Middle Ages to the 20th century, with over 600 pieces on permanent display. The collection primarily focuses on Flemish Art from the Southern Netherlands, but it also includes a significant number of European paintings, especially French, as well as a diverse selection of sculptures.

Designed by city architect Charles van Rysselberghe around 1900, the museum's building itself is a notable architectural landmark. After an extensive four-year restoration, the museum reopened in 2007, further enhancing its role as a cultural beacon in Ghent.

In addition to its permanent collection, the museum is known for hosting temporary exhibitions, with 41 exhibitions held between March 2011 and January 2021. The Museum of Fine Arts is part of The Flemish Art Collection, a collaborative partnership with the Royal Museum of Fine Arts and the Groeninge Museum in Bruges. Together, these three institutions offer a comprehensive overview of Flemish art from the 15th to the 20th century, working collectively to manage and promote their collections on an international level. Through this partnership, the museums share expertise and aim to enhance the sustainable, high-quality management of their collections, which include works of global significance in the realm of cultural heritage.

Why You Should Visit:
To enjoy works of different periods including the 17th-century and Baroque styles as well as most that followed: Romanticism, Impressionism, Expressionism, abstract art.
A particularly interesting part of this gallery is the restoration workroom that allows you to witness and understand the technique of restoring the older paintings.

Tip:
Make sure to pick up a map as the layout may be a bit confusing, but once you figured it out it is easy to follow the timeline from oldest to modern works.