Exhibition in the New Hall of 19th Century Decorative Arts
Art & History Museum
From Tuesday 14 to Sunday 19 October 2025
Art & History Museum
Practical information
Address : Musée Art & Histoire - Parc du Cinquantenaire 10
Transport : Metro/Metro 1, 5 (Merode), Tram 81 (Place St.-Pierre/St.-Pietersplein or/of Merode), Bus 27, 80 (Gaulois/Galliërs), Bus 61 (Merode)
Reservation : Click here
Questions and contact : info@kmkg-mrah.be
Since 13 June 2025, a new gallery is dedicated to the decorative arts of the 19th century. The display follows the evolution of styles such as Empire, Neo-Gothic, and Japonism - an important precursor to Art Nouveau.
In addition, the exhibition explores key societal changes through thematic sections. Topics include industrialization, transportation, leisure, the growing attention to children, and the subdivision of domestic interiors into specialized living spaces - primarily viewed through the lens of the bourgeois social class.
This gallery also features several exceptional masterpieces. Notably, furniture crafted by the French Jacob family, used during the Duchess of Richmond’s ball on the eve of the Battle of Quatre Bras - just three days before the decisive Battle of Waterloo. Also on view are candlesticks by the prestigious Parisian silversmith Odiot, from the estate of Count Thierry de Looz-Corswarem, on loan from the King Baudouin Foundation.
With this new presentation, the 19th century shines in full glory, brought to life through numerous Belgian and international creations.