Flemish Government invests in Flemish Masters

They were active in the County of Flanders (broadly speaking East and West Flanders and part of what is now Northern France), the area around Tournai (Hainaut) and the Duchy of Brabant. These painters were invited to work at foreign courts and had a Europe-wide influence.

The cash will go to six projects to promote the legacy of the Flemish Master with the intention of attracting tourists from all over the world.

1.6 million euro is to go to the Bruegel House in the Hoogstraat in Brussels. This is the house where the world-renowned 16th century painter is believed to have lived.

"Blik van Bruegel" (Bruegel’s view), a hiking and cycle route in the Flemish Brabant countryside around Brussels is also to be given Flemish Government funding as is the Bruegel Rediscovered exhibition at Gaasbeek Castle in Flemish Brabant.

The Back to Bruegel exhibition in the Hallepoort Museum in Brussels is also to receive funds from the Flemish Government.

Projects on the work of two other Flemish Masters, Dieric Bouts and Adriaen Brouwer are also to be given funding. These are the “Experience the Last Supper, Experience Bouts” exhibition in Leuven and an exhibition about the work of Adriaen Brouwer in the east Flemish town of Oudenaarde.

In addition to the 4.5 million euro in funding announced this weekend, the Flemish Government has already set aside 22 million euro to fund projects on the work of the Flemish Masters in 2018.

Next year Rubens will take centre stage. In 2019 it will be the turn of Bruegel with the focus turning to Van Eyck in 2020.