Collection
Feel the heartbeat of historyThe castle collection: a colourful bunch
Gaasbeek Castle's diverse collection was created over the course of several centuries. Its historical core originated in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and includes late Gothic furniture and paintings. Valuable 16th-century tapestries from Tournai and Brussels tell the Old Testament story of Tobias and Sarah, among others. A top exhibit that found its place in the castle around that time was the last will and testament of the painter Pieter Paul Rubens. Around 1800, the collecting frenzy of the Orientalist Paul Arconati also added some remarkable and exotic pieces, such as the Chinese pagoda in ivory. They symbolise in a tangible way his fascination with the Near and Far East.
The Marquise Arconati Visconti, in turn, commissioned the architect Charle-Albert to transform the castle into a neo-Renaissance dream castle, not only externally, but internally as well. As a result of this collaboration, she also firmly made her mark on the castle's interiors. Her focus lay upon art and utensils from the Flemish and Italian Renaissance. These pieces were intended to complete the concept of the castle as a Gesamtkunstwerk, that is, an all-encompassing work of art. When the architect died in 1890 and the contents of his lavish neo-Renaissance Flemish house (in Watermael-Boitsfort) was auctioned off, the Marquise bought a significant part of that collection. Together with her partner Raoul Duseigneur, an art dealer, she also acquired bargains at places such as the "sale of the century," the Spitzer auction in Paris (in 1893). So Marie herself can therefore certainly also be called an avid collector. An important part of the Marquise's collection went to prestigious museums and institutions in France, such as the Louvre and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs. But even in Gaasbeek, we are still reaping the fruits of her love of art and history today.
The collection is kept alive by means of a purchasing policy that aims to enhance the current collection and to illustrate the many stories that reside within the castle's walls. Works by contemporary artists also form part of the diverse collection.
Part of our collection can be found on Art In Flanders