Those who could afford to imitate the lordships liked to surround themselves with contemporary art. Nicolaas Rockox was such a man. His private home has been reconstructed as an ‘art room’.

If we want to visit the original destinations for religious paintings, we cannot skip the churches, but here is another opportunity.

You should understand that our concept of ‘museum’ as a space for the public did not exist in the 17^th century. The wealthy citizens who could afford to imitate the lordships surrounded themselves with art of their time. Such as a man was Nicholas Rockox; his portrait by Otto Van Veen welcomes you in this historic and reconstructed house.

Even though many of its inventoried works of art are no longer here, the SnijdersRockox House has tried – successfully – to evoke the atmosphere of the time, by means of authentic pieces. It also enables us to admire teacher and apprentice together.

Rubens painted the official portraits of governors Albert and Isabella; we also find his own engraved portrait. Anthony van Dyck painted his colleague Frans Snijders and bishop Joannes Malderus (on loan from KMSKA ). Joos de Momper II specialized in landscape scenes; they became the actual subject of the painting, instead of just the background. We ‘d like to look now at some smaller portrait studies.