CLOSED | You could find out more about the people behind the objects of the MAS: who used them, who collected them? And at the same time, you could take a look behind the scenes of the museum.
Photographs show the people involved and the circumstances surrounding their emigration. Consequently, photography is an important source of information for the story of the Red Star Line.
Military violence and mass persecution of Jews and dissenters during World War II broke the city. Personal stories and objects make this period very tangible in this new permanent MAS exhibition.
Jan Corteel devoted himself to promoting the story of Nello and Patrasche in Antwerp and Belgium. Over the years, Jan even built up a Nello and Patrasche collection, with all kinds of merchandise and various editions of the book. He donated this collection to the MAS.
Napoleon's visit to Antwerp in 1803 was a high point for the city on the Scheldt. Joséphine de Beauharnais, Napoleon's wife, ordered a painting to immortalise the entry. This is a preliminary sketch for that.
The nine contemplations on the impurity of the human body depicts how finite the human body is. Japanese monks used such series as an aid to their meditation.
The ancient glass collection is one of the hidden gems at the MAS. It's part of a valuable glass collection numbering nearly 700 objects. For the first time the subcollection of ancient glass is published in a comprehensive catalogue.
What is valuable must be protected. That is the logic of the Flemish Masterpieces Decree. Since the creation of this decree in 2003, just about 1,000 objects and collections have been recognised and protected as masterpieces. Through decree, the government also strengthens public collections by acquiring important masterpieces.
