Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent

At the end of the 18th century, Ghent was under French rule. The French confiscated important art treasures, which can now be seen in the Louvre, among other places. In 1798, it was decided to assemble a public collection in Ghent. This then still modest collection was for a short time housed in the St. Peter's Church, until in 1809 it was provisionally accommodated in a room of the Municipal Academy. Over the years, the basic collection changed only slightly. In 1837, the city council purchased a painting by a contemporary artist for the first time, which came from the Ghent Triennial Salon. Since then, the city continued to purchase works at salons, hence the museum's very extensive collection of 19th-century art. In 1860, the museum bought its first work by an old master. It was not until the end of the 19th century that the collection of ancient art was greatly expanded. This was due to the foundation of the association 'The Friends of the Museum'. Fernand Scribe, chairman of the Friends of the Museum, donated his entire collection to the city in 1913. Other important donors were Georges Hulin de Loo, Tony Simon-Wolfskehl, widow Lasnitzki and Raoul De Keyser. The spectacular growth of the collection, thanks to numerous purchases and donations, meant that a new location was soon required. In 1820, Tieleman Franciscus Suys drew up the first plan for a new museum building. It was not until 1898 that the final design and location were determined. The collection, supplemented with loans, is opened each year through temporary exhibitions. In January 2018, the museum was discredited for exhibiting 24 loans from the Toporovski Collection whose authenticity was disputed by experts. After criticism in the press, the museum management removed the artworks, whether real or alleged, and called for research by art experts. In March 2018, director Cathérine de Zegher was dismissed from her position by the city, on suspicions of forgery surrounding the loan, because she could not provide proof that she had conducted research on the collection prior to the loan, and after it turned out that she had made false statements at the city's culture committee. In January 2020, the exhibition 'Van Eyck, an optical revolution' started. There, 13 original works by Jan van Eyck were brought together, along with another 9 works from his studio. Due to the corona crisis, the exhibition had to be stopped prematurely. Nevertheless, 'Van Eyck, an optical revolution' did win the international Apollo Award for 'Exhibition of the year'. 

Digital reproductions of works of art from the MSK collection are handled by Art in Flanders. Through this website, you can request works online. Depending on the intended use, you can receive them in various resolutions and whether or not free of charge. 

Sofie Corneillie or +32 (0)9 323 67 47 Veerle Verhasselt or +32 (0)9 323 67 43 Visitors should report to the administrative entrance at 28, Hofbouwlaan (at the rear of the building).