The city of Antwerp, in northern Belgium, is familiar as the setting for the novel A Dog of Flanders, which is very well known in Japan. Long ago it developed into a centre for commerce and finance, as well as a place where various types of art and culture converged. In recent times, Antwerp has become known as a centre of fashion and a magnet for the latest cultural scenes. It is also home to the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, which has built up a vast collection that includes a wide variety of works from the 14th to the 20th centuries. Displaying part of that collection, this exhibition showcases a full range of Belgian paintings, in terms of both quality and quantity, from the end of the 19th century to the middle of the 20th century. It traces the development of Belgian modern art, featuring 70 works from 39 artists, including the three masters of Belgian modern art - René Magritte, Paul Delvaux, and James Ensor - as well as symbolist artists such as Léon Spilliaert and Fernand Khnopff, Flemish expressionists, and surrealists. Featuring a special exhibit of Magritte's masterpiece, The Sixteenth of September, the show includes 63 works being displayed in Japan for the first time. It provides a wonderful opportunity to gain a fuller appreciation of the allure of the Belgian art that stands at the crossroads of fantasy and reality.
