‎LEYSEN THOMAS‎
‎RARE AND INDISPENSABLE - MASTERPIECES FROM FLEMISH COLLECTIONS‎

‎RARE AND INDISPENSABLE : Masterpieces from Flemish collections‎

‎, BAI, 2023 Hardcover,+ dustjacket, 304 pages, ENG edition , 300 x 240 mm, , NEW, illustrated in colour / b/w. ISBN 9789085868422.‎

‎Magritte, Bacon, Ensor, Moore, Jordaens, Rubens . These are just some of the world-famous names on display at the MAS in autumn 2023. The not-to-be-missed exhibition 'Rare and Indispensable' brings a unique selection of masterpieces from the Flemish masterpiece list. Works of art you would otherwise have to travel all over Flanders to see, or which were never even publicly accessible, can now be temporarily admired in one museum hall. All in honour of the 20th anniversary of the 'Flemish Masterpiece Decree'. Tuesday 31 October 2023 until Sunday 25 February 2024 from 10:00 to 17:00 Over twenty museums, large and small, as well as churches, libraries and private collectors, temporarily lend masterpieces from their collections to the MAS. All works are part of the Flemish Masterpiece List or have been acquired by the government since 2003. Famous paintings by Hugo van der Goes, Rubens, Jordaens, Ensor, Magritte and Bacon, sculptures by Lucas Faydherbe and Henry Moore, as well as precious silver, medieval manuscripts and a rare piece of furniture by Pierre Gole, beniste du roi of the French king Louis XIV, can exceptionally be admired in one place at the same time. Curators Thomas Leysen and Ben Van Beneden, members of the 'Topstukkenraad' (Masterpiece council), selected all the masterpieces for this exhibition. The MAS has 6 Flemish masterpieces in its collection. Two of these will be exposed in the exhibition, two other works are on display in the Visible Storage on the 2e floor (free entrance to the public). 'Rare and indispensable' will be a must-see, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Flemish Masterpiece Decree. Visitors can expect a surprising journey through European art history.‎