Explore over 100 exceptional Flemish drawings from the 16th and 17th centuries during Bruegel to Rubens. Great Flemish Drawings at the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology. From Pieter Bruegel’s intricate print designs to Rubens’s sketches, the exhibition offers a rare glimpse into the artistic genius of Flemish masters, whilst providing valuable insights into their creative processes.

Notably, the exhibition features no less than four works from The Phoebus Foundation collection, including Peter Paul Rubens’ Study of the Legs of a Male Nude and Pieter Bruegel I’s enchanting Village with a Group of Trees and a Mule.

The new exhibition at the Ensor House focuses on self-portraits and showcases a variety of works that delve deeper into James Ensor’s fascination with self-representation. The self-portrait takes a central role within Ensor’s oeuvre and highlights his introspective exploration. By using mirrors, Ensor created what can be described as a “subjective” representation, where the painter becomes both the subject and the object of his own creation. This intricate interplay between artist, mirror, and viewer underscores the complexity of self-portraiture.

During the exhibition, you can also discover a self-portrait of Ensor and his close friend Augusta Boogaerts from The Phoebus Foundation collection.

To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the passing of the celebrated Belgian artist James Ensor, Bozar pays homage to this versatile master with the exhibition James Ensor: Maestro. Explore all aspects of his oeuvre through approximately 100 pieces, including oil paintings, works on paper, prints, manuscripts, photos, and scores. At the exhibition, you will have the opportunity to admire three artworks from The Phoebus Foundation’s collection.

Experience a fascinating journey into the world of ‘tronies’. The exhibition, previously showcased at the KMSKA, is now travelling to The National Gallery of Ireland, shedding light on the emergence of a new genre, namely head studies. During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, artists such as Rubens, Rembrandt, and Vermeer delved into the art of portraying faces individually and in all their glory.

From February 24th to May 26th, 2024, you can explore the origins and evolution of ‘tronies’ through various works, including three from The Phoebus Foundation collection.

The Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton, also known as Trinity, will be exhibited in the Swiss Sauriermuseum from January 23, 2024, until January 19, 2025. For Trinity, this is also her debut as a museum piece. Almost 12 metres long and around 4 metres at the shoulder, she will be the undisputed queen of dinosaurs at the Sauriermuseum for a year.

Trinity owes her name to the fact that she consists of the bones of 3 different T. rexes. They were discovered between 2008 and 2013 in the Hell-Creek and Lance-Creek formations in Montana and Wyoming and are all of similar size, quality, and geological origin. The preparation of the entire skeleton took almost 10 years. In total, Trinity consists of 293 original bones, accounting for 50.17% of the total. Compared to other fossils, this is an exceptionally high percentage. Especially considering that only 32 partial skeletons have been unearthed since the discovery of the first T. rex in the 19th century, and that Trinity is a respectable 66 million years old.

Aathal will be the first stop on Trinity’s world tour: the plan is to display the T. rex skeleton in numerous other international museums. However, in 2020 The Phoebus Foundation acquired the iconic ‘Boerentoren’ (‘Farmer’s Tower’), in the centre of Antwerp (Belgium). The art deco building, once Europe’s first skyscraper, is currently undergoing transformation into a ‘cultural tower’: a cultural hotspot with large-scale exhibition facilities. When construction is complete, this will be Trinity’s final destination, where everyone, young and old, can admire her in a permanent exhibition.

The sixth exhibition of Het Kunstuur in Mechelen will run from the 13th of October 2023 till the 31st of April 2024. For more info and tickets, visit www.hetkunstuur.com/mechelen

On the 31st of March, the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin celebrates the Ghent-born artist Hugo van der Goes. An actual premiere as almost all of the artist’s surviving paintings and drawings will be presented in one exhibition. As one of the most important names of the second half of the 15th century, van der Goes generated much admiration with their monumental pieces displaying an astonishing and emotional expressiveness.

Once again, visitors can discover two unique pieces from The Phoebus Foundation collection: van der Goes’ Descent from the Cross and Mary with Child and Saints Thomas, John the Baptist, Jerome and Louis.

Discover Hugo van der Goes. Between Pain and Bliss from the 13th of March to the 16th of July at the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin.

Did you know countless Dutch masters were inspired by their southern neighbours? The influence of early modern artistic centres such as Antwerp on artists from the North cannot be underestimated. Time for an ode! With more than 80 works of art by resounding names such as Frans Hals, Maerten De Vos, Hendrick De Clerck and Peter Paul Rubens, this spring Museum Catharijneconvent highlights the important connections between the North and the South. With surprising dialogues as a result!

In the 16th century, Antwerp was the art and trade metropolis of Europe. Political and religious tensions ended all the glory in 1585. The Netherlands were split, the people of Antwerp fled and the prosperous epicentre moved towards the north. The exhibition Ode to Antwerp. The Secret of the Dutch Masters brings a unique perspective on this turbulent history and focuses on the immense influence on art and the art market that the fled Antwerpers took with them. Using large and colourful canvases and panels that are on display in the Netherlands for the first time, the exhibition highlights the enduring artistic interaction between the Southern and Northern Netherlands. Starring? More than 30 masterpieces from The Phoebus Foundation’s collection!

The Bentvueghels. A notorious art society in Rome is a new exhibition at the Centraal Museum in Utrecht that tells the story of an artists group from the Northern and Southern Netherlands who came together in Rome at the beginning of the 17th century under the name The Bentvueghels. Among others, three works by Jan Miel from our collection will be on display there.

Info and tickets available on the website of Centraal Museum.

Thanks to the collaboration with the National Gallery of Ireland, the unique Dymphna altarpiece from The Phoebus Foundation collection will continue its travels to the homeland of princess Dymphna, namely Ireland. The new exhibition St Dymphna. The Tragedy of an Irish Princess. explores Dymphna’s tragic life story and her canonisation as a saint. The panels by Goossen Van der Weyden are unique pieces as they are the only known pieces from the 16th century exploring the life of St Dymphna.

From the 28th of January until the 28th of May 2023, you can admire Goossen Van der Weyden’s eight panels telling the intriguing story of one of the most intriguing Merovingian female figures.

For info and tickets, visit the website of National Gallery of Ireland.

We start our 2023 Travelling Treasures with a new loan that will be on display from the 21st of January at MSK Gent as part of the new exhibition titled Theodoor Rombouts, Virtuoso of Flemish Caravaggism.

Born in Antwerp during the late 16th century, Theodoor Rombouts is best known for his dynamic compositions depicting musical scenes, card-players and other merry characters enjoying their time. The work Cardplayers is exemplary of Rombouts’ style reminiscent of Caravaggio, encompassing a realistic yet spontaneous dimension.

Discover Cardplayers and other remarkable compositions by Theodoor Rombouts at MSK Gent from the 21st of January. Tickets and info available on the museum website.

Want to know more about the fascinating portrait of Henricus? Read our Phoebus Focus XXVII Portrait of Henricus Liberti, available in our online store!

Meet Anto-Carte (1886-1954)! A Mons artist who was a painter, lithographer and illustrator at the same time, he became known all over the world thanks to exhibitions in the United States, Spain and Italy.

With the exhibition Anto-Carte. Heaven and Earth, the BAM immerses you in the world of Anto-Carte, whose work weaves a fascinating link between the centuries. After all, the expertise of the great masters of painting is reflected in paintings painted in the first half of the 20th century by this internationally renowned artist from Mons.

80 works from public and private collections show Anto-Carte’s painting that focuses on the pursuit of the sacred. The artist revisited the classic themes of Christian iconography and at the same time honoured the grandeur of the peasant world in his works. You will also discover a fascinating work from the collection of The Phoebus Foundation !

Fans of armour will be in for a treat at Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna! In the exhibition Iron Men, you will discover the most beautiful suits of armour from the largest collections in the world. From paintings and sculptures to authentic, life-size armour: immerse yourself in a world of fashion and steel.

You will also discover an exceptional sculpture of Charles V in – literally – magnificent armour from the collection of The Phoebus Foundation.

Do you like modernist art? Mu.Zee in Ostend is your place to be! Moreover: you can discover Transatlantic modernisms! The exhibition tells the surprising story of the artistic connections between Belgium and Argentina from 1910 to 1958. The artists from both regions may have lived miles apart, their contacts and influences were particularly close. The friendship between artists Julio Payro and Paul Delvaux is one of the many examples of these artistic relations.

With no fewer than four loans, we are honoured to have contributed to this special project. Book your ticket now!

Did you know Antwerp was the capital of harpsichords between 1560 and 1660? With the exhibition Keyboard Instruments, the Snijders&Rockox House Museum and the Vleeshuis Museum take you back to the golden age of the Antwerp harpsichord.

At the Snijders&Rockox House Museum you can discover paintings by Frans Floris, Jacob Jordaens, Maerten de Vos, the Francken family and others, with Antwerp organs, harpsichords and virginals in the leading role. At the Vleeshuis Museum you can admire the harpsichords and virginals and unique painted harpsichord lids.

With no less than eight loans, including a newly discovered harpsichord lid by Frans II Francken, The Phoebus Foundation is honoured to be a partner of this special exhibition!

Today a name stands out from the Frankish dynasty, that of Frans Francken the Younger (1581-1642) considered to be an outstanding artist. This contemporary of Rubens is distinguished by his unique, refined style, by the diversity of subjects he tackled and by his prolific output which flooded the Antwerp market. Trained by his father Frans the Elder, a renowned religious painter, he asserted his personality and taste for learning very early on: his works include multiple references to history and literature, and even esoteric sources. His fine artworks responded to the demands of the bourgeois wishing to demonstrate their knowledge: his success was immediate. A studio was then set up, a real commercial enterprise which called on famous collaborators from time to time such as Jan Brueghel and who also employed his brothers and sons.

In Flanders, the mode of apprenticeship based on the medieval tradition of craft guilds encouraged artistic filiation. So, the Francken dynasty is a story of several generations of artists united by blood ties and a common expertise. Although Frans Francken the Elder and Ambrosius Francken I revealed their talent through spectacular religious triptychs, Hieronymus Francken I rose to the prestigious position of painter to the King of France. Each followed their own path based on the proposals received and their inclinations, while benefiting from a brand, the Francken brand.

From 04/09 to 02/01/2022, you can discover the Franckens at Musée de Flandre in Cassel (France) and admire three extraordinary works of art from The Phoebus Foundation. Click here for more info.

Remember Me. More than 100 Renaissance Portraits, from Dürer to Sofonisba tells the story of powerful emperors, flamboyant aristocrats and well-to-do citizens and how they had themselves immortalized throughout the 15th and 16th centuries. Showing various masterpieces by famous artists such as Holbein, Dürer, Memling and Titian, this unique exhibition highlights the first real blossoming of portraiture in Europe.

Besides Renaissance portraits from Turin, Frankfurt and Washington, you can admire two exceptional works by Jan Van Hemessen and Jan Van Scorel from the collection of The Phoebus Foundation!

Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640) is arguably the most successful Flemish Baroque painter. His works are characterized by an impressive, colorful imagery that is highly recognizable. Even during Rubens’s lifetime were people prepared to pay the highest prices for his works. But how did Rubens succeed in becoming a painter who is celebrated throughout all of Europe?

This exhibition shows how Rubens laid the foundations for his later success in Italy: he worked in Italy for the ducal court in Mantua as well as for the powerful Doge families in Genoa. Between 1600 and 1608, he continuously expanded his network and gained influential nobles, scholars and diplomats as patrons. Meanwhile, he spent his Italian years to study ancient and renaissance art in Rome and elsewhere.

One hundred paintings and works on paper tell the story of Rubens’ stay in Italy and the beginnings of his great studio in Antwerp. With the loan of Rubens’ Portrait of Emperor Servius Sulpicius Galba and the drawing A satyress Reaches for a Herm of Pan from the master’s sketchbook, The Phoebus Foundation is making an important contribution to this exhibition.