From the museum website, 23 September 2014
As of 25 October the museum will exhibit forty-two unique Renaissance drawings from the collections of private Antwerp collectors for the very first time.
In the sixteenth century artists were held in particularly high regard: they ran flourishing workshops, travelled around Europe and received local and foreign commissions. Their work also consisted of drawings, a genre which developed into a separate art form. As of 25 October Museum Mayer van den Bergh will present forty-two unique Renaissance drawings from the collections of private Antwerp collectors for the very first time.
The exhibition highlights the various functions of a drawing: as a source of inspiration for a subsequent work, as a sketch for paintings for example or as an individual art work. But drawings also became collector’s items, that were sought after. The extraordinary talent of such artists as Frans Floris, Hans Bol, Jan Bruegel, … was soon noticed by Fritz Mayer van den Bergh (1858-1901) as well as by contemporary Antwerp collectors. On this occasion they show their most beautiful Renaissance drawings to the public.
The exhibition was developed in collaboration with the University of Ghent where students of Art History examined the drawings with specialists.