Antwerp Port Authority brings Flemish art to India for the first time
The Antwerp Port Authority and the city of Antwerp in collaboration with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya- CSMVS, (formerly the Prince of Wales Museum of Western India), for the first time in India will be showcasing, ‘Flemish Masterpieces from Antwerp’ at the Premchand Roychand Exhibition Gallery till February 9, 2014. ‘The Masterpieces from Antwerp’ will display in Mumbai, 28 exclusive and magnificent paintings of the collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp along with 25 engravings of the print room of the Plantin-Moretus Museum.
As part of the exhibition, CSMVS will roll out an extensive education and students programme reaching out to more than 400 schools and colleges in and around Mumbai. These educational initiatives will be executed in the form of guided tours, lectures, symposiums and workshops. There will also be storytelling sessions and puppet shows on Flemish folklore for families alongside a photography corner, bookmark counter and games. CSMVS will also organise tactile tours for the visually impaired to give them a multisensory experience of the exhibition. The museum will roll out special activity based visits for underprivileged children and differently-abled visitors. Many of these programmes of enrichment workshops, demonstrations and activities will be free for school children.
Commenting on the exhibition, Eddy Bruyninckx, chief executive officer, Antwerp Port Authority said, “The Antwerp Port Authority takes immense pleasure in presenting the heritage of our city to the people of Mumbai and India. All art is a heritage of our civilization and such events help to remind us that we all share a common passion for the arts.”
Marc Van Peel, vice-mayor and president, Antwerp Port Authority added, “Art and ports are rarely mentioned in one same breath. Yet, they do have more in common than at first meets the eye. It’s more than simply a gateway to the world. Both art and ports contribute to the opening up of the society; they build bridges, embrace the past and take it into the future. They both possess a need for reflection and vision, evolution and challenges.For Indian people, Antwerp is more than a leading maritime and logistics hub, its rich cultural and trading history appeal strongly to the imagination. Therefore the Antwerp Port Authority took this initiative.”’
Commenting on the occasion, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, director general, CSMVS said, “It is gratifying that the exhibition entitled “The Masterpieces from Antwerp” is arriving in Mumbai and will be on public view for a period of three months. We are grateful to the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, the city and the port of Antwerp and all partners involved for their generous support and cooperation in bringing this exclusive exhibition to India and Mumbai for the first time ever. This exhibition will bring to Mumbai magnificent paintings and engravings by master painters ensuring an exciting overview of never seen before 17th century Flemish art.”
The exhibition will bring to India an opportunity for art lovers, connoisseurs, scholars and artists to study and appreciate Flemish artworks of 17th century.
‘Flemish Masterpieces from Antwerp’ presents a selection from the art that was produced in the city during the 17th century: Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640), Anthony Van Dyck (1597-1641), Jacob Jordaens (1593-1678), Jan Brueghel I (1568-1625), David Teniers II (1610-1690), Frans Snijders (1579-1657), Jan Fijt(1611-1661) and many other highlights from the collections of Antwerp’s Royal Museum of Fine Arts. The exhibition will also showcase exclusive engravings by Rubens, Jordaens, Van Dyck from the 17th century from the Print Room of the Museum Plantin-Moretus.
