Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Departmental Museum of Flanders was founded in 1837, when Charles Vanoverschelde transferred his natural history cabinet to a private foundation for 3,500 francs. Located in the former Town Hall of Cassel, this first museum focuses on mineralogic and paleontological pieces. In 1889, he became a municipality and enriched with ethnographic and artistic gifts, changing his initial orientation. The First World War marked a turning point: Marshal Foch installed his headquarters there in 1914, and his kepi, and his uniform, joined the collections after the war.

During the Second World War, 50 iconic objects, including the Cassel Carnival of Alexis Bafcop, were evacuated to the Sarthe before the bombing of 1940 which destroyed the former Town Hall. After the war, the collections are temporarily displayed in the Hotel Taverne in Saint-Antoine. In the 1950s, the idea of a museum dedicated to the Great War emerged, worn by Abbé Verstraete, who offered his military collection in 1951. In the absence of resources, the two projects (art/folklore and war) merge under the impetus of the conservative Henri Descamps.

Inaugurated in 1964 in the Hotel de la Noble Cour (XVI century), classified as a historical monument in 1910, the museum adopts an ethnographic approach inspired by Georges Henri Rivière. Departmented in 1997, it closed for security reasons before reopening in 2010 after a major renovation. The museum journey, organized in thematic diptychs (Submission and anger, Between Earth and Heaven), puts in dialogue ancient and contemporary art to illustrate Flemish culture. The collections, reinforced by targeted acquisitions, include paintings (Jan Gossaert, Pieter Coeke van Aelst), sculptures (Artus Quellin), engravings (Pieter Bruegel l'Ancien) and contemporary works (Jan Fabre).

The Hotel de la Noble Cour, a former seat of Cassel's castle, combines an Italian Renaissance stone façade with a Flemish brick façade. Its interiors preserve 18th-century woodwork and a parquet floor at the tip of Hungary. The museum stands out for its cross-sectional approach, opening the eras to highlight Flemish creative continuity, from 15th century religious painting to current installations. Temporary exhibitions, such as Festivals and Kermesses in the time of Brueghel (2019), explore topics that are dear to regional identity.

The collections reflect Flemish diversity: religious art (Vierges à l'Enfant, biblical scenes), gender scenes (Jan Fyt hunting trophies, carnivals), and ethnographic objects (costumes, tools). Contemporary art, integrated into the permanent journey, dialogue with ancient works, such as the Baroque sculptures by Willem Kerrickx or the engravings by Pieter van der Heyden. The museum is the only one in France entirely dedicated to Flemish culture, offering a multidisciplinary vision combining history, folklore and artistic creation.

External links