Homage to Belgium’s realist pioneer
The Musée Meunier Museum is the former home and studio of painter, sculptor and draughtsman Constantin Meunier, who was unfairly overlooked by the general public in his day. On display are artworks created between 1875 and 1905, a period he referred to as his “second life,” which was defined by greater awareness of the various social, political and industrial developments in late 19th century Belgium. Meunier treated these important themes first through drawing then turned to sculpture, and his sympathetic representations of the world cemented his importance in the history of realism. The museum houses more than 700 artworks, including his splendid painting “The Broken Pot” and sculpture “The Hammerer.” It opened to the public as part of Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique in 1939.
