Queen Mathilde given a sneak preview of Renaissance Children exhibition
Queen Mathilde was clearly in her element on Thursday as she was given a tour of a brand-new exhibition of a unique selection of children’s portraits of Burgundian-Habsburg princesses and princes that were commissioned for the court at Mechelen. The Renaissance Children exhibition that opens to the public today is being held at the Hof van Busleyden Museum in Mechelen (Antwerp Province). 500 years ago three generations of Burgundian-Habsburg princes and princesses grew up in the city that is half way between Antwerp and Brussels.
The paintings are on public display together for the very first time.
The Renaissance Children exhibition highlights the instrumental role that the court at Mechelen played in the evolution of children’s portraiture and the humanistic ideas that have continued to influence the way in which we raise children today.
The exhibition runs from Friday 26 March to Sunday 4 July. The museum is open daily (except on Wednesdays) from 10AM until 5pm. Admission costs 12 euro for adults, 10 euro for residents of Mechelen. There are concessions for children, young adults, the disabled and the over 65s. The museum is on the Sint-Janstraat 2a (enter through the garden) in Mechelen