An exhibition celebrating Flemish festivities and shared cultural heritage brought 80,250 visitors to the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Lille, France.
The exhibition, titled 'Fêtes et célébrations flamandes,' ran from 26 April to 1 September and featured works by renowned artists such as Rubens, Bruegel, and Jordaens.
It explored the festive traditions of northern France and Belgium during the 16th and 17th centuries.
“The exhibition enjoyed an impressive attendance, with a notable rise in visitors over the summer and an unprecedented share (28%) of international guests, the Palais des Beaux-Arts said in a statement.
Visitors admired masterpieces by celebrated Flemish painters alongside more unusual artefacts, including beer pitchers.
The exhibition was co-curated by Blaise Ducos, head of Flemish and Dutch paintings at the Louvre, and Sabine van Sprang, curator of Flemish art (1550–1650) at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, MRBAB.
A significant collaboration underpinned the event, with 26 works travelling from Belgium’s Royal Museums to Lille.
Institutions such as the KMSKA, Rubenshuis, MAS Antwerp, and the Belgian Royal Library also contributed to the display, while the Louvre and Spain’s Prado Museum supplemented the exhibition by loaning key pieces.
