Due to a famous painting “Dulle Griet” literary “Very Angry Woman” but also called “Mad Meg” I absolutely wanted to visit the Museum Mayer van den Bergh. Finally on March 6th. 2021, my big wish came true.
The Museum Mayer van den Bergh is located at the Lange Gashuisstraat 19 in Antwerpen. It is a beautiful old house near a lovely posh area.
The Museum was founded with the art collection of Knight Fritz Mayer van den Bergh (1858-1901). He was a Belgian art collector and art historian. His collection contained several paintings of Bruegel. In 1888 he became a part of the Belgium nobility. He was granted the title “Knight”. Unfortunately he died at the age of 43. However his mother kept his collection complete. So, people can still see it today.
After the death of her son, his mother, Henriette Mayer van den Bergh gave the order to build a neo-gothic house in the banking district of Antwerp. The building works took place between 1901-1904 as a museum for his lavish art collection.
The museum has several highlights in art of course there is the famous painting of Mad Meg. She also was the head character in one of the comic books of Suske & Wiske or in English Spike and Suzy. A canon in Ghent, Belgium also was named the “Dulle Griet”. Mad Meg was painted by Bruegel.
But there is much more. Pieter Bruegel didn’t only like to use proverbs in his paintings he had a great sense of humour too.
At one time twelve separate round medallions were created. At an early stage, they were turned into a single panel, and a text was added. Each one was individually painted by Pieter Bruegel himself, and shows a single figure in action.
Another room shows large family paintings. In the Golden Age the Dutch bourgeoisie liked to show their status by enormous family paintings. Cornelis de Vos (who worked together with Pieter Paul Rubens) was one of Antwerp’s famous portrait painters.
Some of the paintings also portray the lavish lifestyle of the 17th century. It was clearly a popular genre with the Dutch and Flemish bourgeoisie. There were all sorts of still lifes at various times: sober breakfast still lifes, luxurious ornate still lifes, floral still lifes, fruit paintings, vanitas paintings... A vanitas painting reminded the viewer that human existence is transient, and that time flies.
The Museum Mayer van den Bergh is located at the Lange Gasthuisstraat 19 in Antwerp and is well reachable by car, feet, bike ….
Please pay attention that the price of the museum tickets will change in September 2021.
Prices for tickets purchased from 1 September 2021 onwards:
€10 Visitors aged 26 and above
€6 Visitors aged 18–25;
Visitors aged under 18;
Antwerp residents with an A Card on the first Tuesday of each month;
Holders of a preferential rate (kansentarief) A Card
UitPAS holders belonging to the Preferential Category (VT);
Museum Pass holders;
School groups accompanied by a teacher;
Companions of disabled visitors.
I enjoyed visiting the Museum Mayer van den Bergh, due to the location, the homely atmosphere and the immense art collection. I liked the idea that something precious was kept for the feature.
I’m not sure if the museum is the perfect place to visit it with young children. However I think they’ll like Mad Meg.
Anyway, if you love art and curiosities you certainly won’t be disappointed by visiting the Museum Mayer van den Bergh in Antwerp. See the website for more information: https://www.museummayervandenbergh.be/en
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Kathleen Van Lierop (born in 1979) is married and lives in Belgium. She is an avid traveler and a real museum lover. She likes books / (royal) history, culture and tourism. She has two blogs: https://allaboutroyalfamilies.blogspot.com/ and My Crazy Life Full With Books