THE JUBELPARK MUSEUM in Brussels | Department of European Decorative Arts | Collection of Liège Furniture | Liège Furniture

 European decorative arts department

The Liège style FURNITURE Collection 

of the Cinquantenaire Museum in Brussels

In the month of October 2024, 12 new rooms opened at the Cinquantenaire Museum located in Brussels (Belgium), rooms that were thoroughly renovated after years of closure. For those unfamiliar with the Cinquantenaire Museum ( Also called Jubelpark Museum) and it is also called the Museum of Art & History, located right next to Autoworld Museum and the War Museum. 

The immense Museum has an extensive and impressive collection of Liège & Aachen furniture in its collection. This collection is a huge source of inspiration for many. 

My first visit must have been about 50 years ago, I can still hear my father saying, Museums with the name ‘Royal’ in front of them are always free. Since then, I have been back many times.  The artworks on display are only a small part of the collection, most of it just sitting in storage.

Especially for you, I dived into my private photo collection and searched for some footage, photos I took over the years, to show the how this collection/set-up looked before the rearrangement. 

THE JUBELPARK MUSEUM | Department of European Decorative Arts
| Liège Furniture Collection | Liège Furniture

I have delved into my private photo collection especially for you and searched for some footage, photos I took over the years, to show the how this collection / arrangement looked before the rearrangement. 

According to the Brussels Museum, content choices were made of the artworks in the 18th-century galleries. Some artworks were rearranged others removed or even taken out of the reserves.

But I know from experience that Museums are showing less and less and letting more and more artworks end up in storage rooms/reserves. 

I refer to the Design Museum in Ghent (Also in Belgium), where all the beautiful 17&18th-century furniture ended up in storage and these rooms are now full of contemporary design. 

Apparently, 17&18th-century design is no longer hip enough.

So I will urgently have to travel to Brussels to go and see what the line-up is like now, and hope for an abundance of Liège furniture.

So in this blog topic, only a few photo from before the renovation.

Happy viewing.

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WOODCARVING Grinling Gibbons Style | Jubelparkmuseum in Brussels | 17th century STYLE WOODCARVING

Patrick Damiaens
Ornamental woodcarver












High-relief carving in the style of Grinling Gibbons
Woodcarving in limewood

 

Jubelparkmuseum, Brussels

Recently I paid a visit to the Jubelparkmuseum in Brussels. Not only is the Jubelparkmuseum the center of the royal galleries for art and history, it also houses the richest art collection of our country. There I had an appointment with Emile Van Binnebeke, who is conservator and the person responsible for the European decorative arts. From him I received an exclusive tour through the catacombs of the museum, a true labyrinth of hallways, storage accommodations, technical rooms …

My annual trip to Brussels

It’s for more than 40 years now that I’m a regular visitor of the Jubelparkmuseum. As a child I made an annual trip to Brussels with my parents and sisters. A visit to the museum of fine arts, the Africa museum or the Jubelparkmuseum was a must during our voyage.

Throughout the years the Jubelparkmuseum kept a certain appeal to me, that’s why it’s still my favorite museum in Brussels. Why? I don’t know exactly. Probably it has something to do with the out of date but charming character of its interior. Or maybe it’s the collection itself. After all the museum is in the possession of a very divers art collection, going from Egyptian sarcophagi to Greek art, Art Nouveau and many other decorative objects. Another reason might be the enormous labyrinth of hallways and rooms, which give you the feeling to sink into an ocean of history and art.

Every decorative style, every period and every culture is represented in the museums collection. We can therefor compare this collection to these of many other great galleries like the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the V&A in London. Despite this fact, the Jubelparkmuseum remains unknown to tourists.

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17^th century style woodcarving

When visiting the museum I noticed that the collection of 18^th century Liège style furniture and 17^th century decorative art has been put back in order. Thanks to this new set up an extraordinary high-relief carving  out of lime wood became the eye-catcher of the room. This beautiful piece of art reminded me of the work of the English woodcarver Grinling Gibbons (17^th century), who created brilliant woodcarvings in his time.

The sculpture below might be the work of Belgian woodcarver Peter Van Dievoet (Brussels, 1661-1729). For a short period of time Van Dievoet labored in the workshop of Gibbons in London but returned to Brussels after the glorious revolution in 1688.

Observe this magnificent piece of craftsmanship

Grinling Gibbons

Grinling Gibbons (Rotterdam, 4^th of April 1648-London, 3^rd of August 1721) is considered to be one of the most influential and finest woodcarvers in the history of the United Kingdom. In spite of his recognition, very little is known about his youth, training and further life. But what we do know is that his mastership took the art of woodcarving to the next level.

Jubelparkmuseum, Brussels

The Jubelparkmuseum: for the most of us unknown but a true recommendation for everyone who loves art.

For many (incl. foreign tourists) an unknown museum, but a wonderful collection, a real must.

WEBSITE

              

https://www.patrickdamiaens.info

PLASTER CASTS | PLASTER ORNAMENTS | CASTS OF ORNAMENTS | Historic plaster ornaments | PLASTER CASTS AND STATUES

The plaster-cast workshop of the Museum

Patrick Damiaens

Ornamental Woodcarver -
Historic plaster ornaments

Plaster casts of historical ornaments and plaster statues

The Museum of Art and History 

in Brussels (The Cinquantenaire )

The plaster-cast workshop of the Cinquantenaire Museum of Art and History in Brussels, the visit.

As you’ve undoubtedly noticed in other blog-items, the search for new ornamental models, designs and inspiration plays an important role in becoming an excellent ornamental woodcarver.

Sketches and photographic material are an important source of knowledge, the latter of which has become increasingly more important in the gathering of knowledge thanks to the invention of the digital camera. 

Tangible models from all kinds of material are, however, still the first and foremost form of inspiration. Seeing as wooden, stone or clay models aren’t easy to come by, plaster ornaments, casts of ornaments, plaster casts, statues and models are ideal substitutes for a woodcarver.

Wonderful plaster ornaments ,models and examples

Historic plaster ornaments

These Historic plaster ornaments, statues and casts hold great educational value. They allow the ornamentalist to truly observe the design and character of a certain stylistic period or to discover the typical characteristics of that period.

Every now and again I travel to Brussels and each time I’m there, I traditionally pay a visit to the Cinquantenaire Museum. My absolute favourite is the Museum of Art and History, which is Belgium’s largest museum. 

4000 different molds of plaster casts, plaster replicas and plaster ornaments 

Bas-relief  plaster

The Cinquantenaire Museum
 

In the Cinquantenaire Museum you can literally walk from prehistoric celts to Egyptian mummies. You can nose about for delftware and take a step back to gaze at the impressive Brussels tapestries.

One minute you can wander off to the orient and walk between the Asian Buddhas only to find yourself in a completely different part of the world the next, admiring a giant Easter Island statue. 

Not to mention the lovely collection of Belgian art nouveau…in short, in the Cinquantenaire Museum you can travel across time and continents, from prehistoric times to the 20^th century. It’s a delight to lose yourself in.

The museum has a section called ‘Atelier de Moulages’ or plaster-cast workshop (free admission). The people are really friendly and you can actually purchase plaster models, casts of ornaments, plaster statues and bas-reliefs at affordable prices.

For information on how to find the workshop, it’s best to turn to the museum’s inquiry/ticket office. Admission to the plaster-cast workshop is free. The educational and cultural service of the Cinquantenaire Museum organizes tours on request.

Main entrance of the Museum

The Royal Museums of Art and History in Brussels

Collections

In the Cinquantenaire Museum,you can see national archaeological artefacts from prehistory to the age of the Merovingians, as well as finds from Egypt, the Near East, Iran and Classical Antiquity. 

Among the star attractions are the collections of Egyptian sarcophagi and Greek vases, the great mosaic floor from Apamea and the model of Ancient Rome. 

There are also non-European art treasures from China, South-east Asia, Central Asia, the cultural world of Islam, America and Oceania. Particularly famous is the collection of pre-Columbian art and another eye-catcher is the colossal statue from Easter Island. 

There is also a representative selection of European decorative art, ranging from Romanesque Art to Art Deco. Among the collections not to be missed are the Mosan liturgical treasures, the tapestries, the retables, the glassware and the Art Nouveau figures.

Indeed, some of the art treasures in this museum are right out of the top drawer.

Museum website

The Plaster-cast Workshop

The Plaster-cast Workshop was established in the nineteenth century during the reign of King Leopold II. It houses a collection of more than 4 000 casts of works of art dating from prehistoric times to the eighteenth century. 

In reproducing those works of art, the workshop’s specialized craftsmen employ traditional techniques in both the casting and the patination. 
To give you an idea of their work, we have made a selection from the various casts that they have made.

The Museum of art and history in Brussels the plaster-cast Workshop

Casting Workshop of the Museum, plaster replicas and bas-reliefs

By offering casts at reasonable prices, the workshop helps to promote art. 
The larger examples, such as busts, full-length statues, reliefs, etc., have to be ordered, but there is a good stock of the smaller examples. Indeed, there is something to suit everyone’s pocket and taste. 

Prices can be found on the pdf file and some casts are on sale in the Cinquantenaire Museum shop.

Admission to the workshop is free and the Educational and Cultural Service of the Cinquantenaire Museum organizes guided tours on request.

More information on plaster casts, casts of ornaments and historical plaster ornaments.
Plaster-casts Workshop
 

Opening hours

Tuesdays to Fridays : 9:30 a.m. - 12:00 a.m. en 1:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Closed on Weekends, Mondays, Feast-days, 1 January, 2, 15 en 16 November, and from 25 December to 31 December.

https://www.patrickdamiaens.info