Flemish and Belgian painting in the National Museum of Fine Arts of Cuba

The history of the publication ‘Flemish and Belgian painting in the National Museum of Fine Arts of Cuba ‘ started in November 2007.

When I visited the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de Cuba in Havana for the first time I was amazed to discover dozens of works by Flemish masters on the 5th floor of the building containing the ‘Arte Universal’ department. Thanks to good relationships with the museum management and the curator of the Flemish and Dutch Art collection, Oscar Antuña Benítez, and with the Belgian embassy in Havana, and also to relationships within the context of the Rubens House and city of Antwerp and given the support of Kunsten & Erfgoed, it was decided in collaboration with Paul Verbeeck, from the Verbeeck Van Dyck gallery in Antwerp, to invest in a scientific publication about this unexpected collection. Reciprocal visits and research in Cuba, Belgium and the Netherlands led, after almost three years, to this book, published and designed by Stockmans and printed within the group on the presses of De Bie Printing at Duffel.

The book was officially presented in August 2016 in Havana by Philip Heylen, Alderman of Culture of the City of Antwerp, after it had already been introduced digitally during Semana Belga, organised by the Belgian embassy in Havana. During presentation of the book Philip Heylen also opened an exhibition of drawings by Old Masters from various collections in Antwerp.

Bruno Devos

 

Below is an introduction by Jonas Slegers, co-author of this book.

 

You hold in your hands the result of exhaustive scientific research. This catalogue is the fruitful product of the encounter between a Flemish art historian and a Cuban conservator. Oscar Antuña Benítez and I hope that we have managed to sketch out a general overview of the Flemish and Belgian masters in exhibition in the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes in Havana. Our cooperative effort has also allowed us to assemble an ample bibliography of European, Cuban and international publications. Within the framework of the museum’s one hundred years of existence celebration, we take great pride in presenting the first catalogue for the Arte Universal collection of the National Museum: Flemish painting. Our ultimate goal is to open up a window for researchers and aficionados all over the world to be able to learn about and appreciate the as yet unknown treasures of the Flemish Collection in the National Museum.

Oscar Antuña Benítez tells us the unusual story of the collection, built up in the last few decades from works that were recovered by the Revolution. My job was to research and write the catalogue comments, something that led me to a status question is allowing me to confirm some of the attributions and to attribute some works to other masters or to anonymous masters.

Jonas Slegers

 

Available at the Stockmans Art Books webshop. Find it here.

  • Flemish and Belgian painting in the National Museum of Fine Arts of Cuba
  • National Museum of Fine Arts of Cuba
  • De Vlaamse en Belgische schilderkunst in het Museum voor Schone Kunsten van Cuba

    La Pintura Flamenca y Belga en el Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de Cuba

    Flemish and Belgian Painting in the National Museum of Fine Arts of Cuba

     

    Text : Jonas Slegers, Oscar Antuña Benítez

    ISBN 9789077207260

    Uitgegeven door / published by www.stockmans.be

    In samenwerking met / in collaboration with Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, La Habana, Cuba

     

    404 pages, in 3 languages, body text in NL-SP, extra UK section in book

    235 x 310 mm portrait / Hardcover

    Full Colour on Heidelberg LE-UV press, English section in 1 PMS colour