2023 edition

Few countries the size of Belgium can boast such rich artistic history. As early as the tenth century, the urban centers emerging in Flanders, Brabant or Hainaut were among the most dynamic of their time, rivaling the most beautiful cities of the Middle Ages in France, Italy, and beyond. Manuscripts, altarpieces, and tapestries produced in the workshops of Antwerp, Bruges, Brussels, and Tournai formed the basis of a lucrative commercial activity that developed rapidly over the following centuries. Rogier Van der Weyden and Jan Van Eyck represent two of the fifteenth century’s greatest masters, while the religious and secular architecture of the period also rank among the most remarkable on the continent.