Old Masters Museum, Art museum in Brussels, Belgium.
The Old Masters Museum is an art museum in Brussels that displays paintings from the 15th to 18th centuries, concentrating on works from the Southern Netherlands and European artistic schools. The collection contains hundreds of panel paintings, altarpieces, and portraits arranged in chronological and thematic order.
The museum was founded in 1801 under Napoleon Bonaparte, who gathered artworks from churches and religious institutions across the region. This institution emerged as a direct result of secularization during the French Revolution and has shaped Brussels's cultural landscape for two centuries.
The collection displays works by artists such as Bruegel the Elder, Rubens, Van Dyck, and Jordaens, reflecting how Flemish painting developed over time. These artworks show how painters from the region shaped their own styles and influenced one another.
The museum is centrally located in Brussels and easily reached by public transportation, with ample parking options nearby. Visitors should plan for about two to three hours to properly explore the extensive collection at a comfortable pace.
The museum houses one of the world's largest collections of paintings by Bruegel the Elder, making it a draw for art enthusiasts worldwide. Many visitors do not realize the building connects underground to neighboring museums, linking the art spaces together in a hidden network.
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