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Museum · Bruges, Flandres Ocidental
Groeningemuseum
Bruges' municipal museum of fine art, on the Dijver, with six centuries of Belgian painting and a collection of Flemish Primitives: Jan van Eyck, Hans Memling, Hugo van der Goes, Gerard David and the Last Judgment from the workshop of Hieronymus Bosch.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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About Groeningemuseum
The Groeningemuseum is the city of Bruges’ museum of fine art. It is on the Dijver, by one of the canals, on the site of the former Eekhout abbey. The collection grew out of the Academy of Fine Arts, founded in 1716, and the main building was completed in 1930.
The highlight is the Flemish Primitives, painters who worked in Bruges and neighbouring towns in the 15th and 16th centuries. By Jan van Eyck you can see The Virgin with Canon Joris van der Paele (1436) and the portrait of Margareta van Eyck, the painter’s wife (1439). By Hans Memling there is the Moreel Triptych, commissioned by a city mayor.
Other works visitors look for include The Judgment of Cambyses by Gerard David, a 1498 panel made for Bruges’ town hall; The Death of the Virgin by Hugo van der Goes; and the Last Judgment triptych from the workshop of Hieronymus Bosch, with the demons and fantastic creatures typical of the painter.
The route continues up to the 20th century. There are neoclassical canvases painted in Bruges, symbolists such as Fernand Khnopff, Flemish expressionists like Constant Permeke and Gustave van de Woestyne, and paintings by René Magritte and Paul Delvaux. The rooms are small and the visit proceeds in chronological order.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
One and a half to two hours to see the Flemish Primitives at a relaxed pace and go through the 19th- and 20th-century rooms.
Best time
Right at opening in the morning, when the Van Eyck and Memling rooms are quieter. On a rainy day it's a covered activity near the centre. Check opening days before you go.
How to get there
The museum is on the Dijver, about a five-minute walk from the Markt along Wollestraat, turning left at the canal. From Brugge station it's about a 20-minute walk, or take a bus to the Brugge Dijver stop.
Tip
Use the museum's digital guide on your phone by scanning the QR codes in the rooms, and bring headphones. Combine the visit with the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk and the Sint-Janshospitaal, where other works by Memling are a few steps away.
Official website
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Groeningemuseum
Which works by Jan van Eyck are in the Groeningemuseum?
The Virgin with Canon Joris van der Paele, 1436, and the portrait of Margareta van Eyck, 1439, as well as a portrait of Christ attributed to the painter and his workshop.
Does the Groeningemuseum have a painting by Hieronymus Bosch?
Yes. The Triptych of the Last Judgment, from the late 15th century, is attributed to Bosch and his workshop. It is in the section dedicated to the Flemish primitives.