The art of giving. The role of art patronage in the creation of the collections of the fine arts museums of Antwerp, Bruges and Ghent (c.1800-c.1960).

In the 19th and 20th centuries, the up-and-coming bourgeoisie as a class contributed in a crucial way to the coming about of the most importantFlemish museums through the donation of artworks. My PhD research The art of giving is an inquiry into the role these donations played in the development of the collections of the museums of fine art of Antwerp, Bruges and Ghent (c.1800-c. 1960). My research focuses, amongst other things, on the art that was donated, the meanings it generated and the identities and motivations of patrons as well as the historical, culturaland social contexts in which this patronage saw the light of day.
 

Keywords:Collections of the fine arts

Disciplines:History, Art studies and sciences

Project type:PhD project