The international museum community mourns the recent passing of Paul Huvenne, the former director of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA), who led the institution for nearly twenty years. Huvenne was a respected voice in the Flemish museum landscape and a renowned specialist in the art of the Low Countries from the sixteenth through the eighteenth centuries, with a particular expertise in the work of Peter Paul Rubens.

Paul Huvenne earned his doctorate in art history from Ghent University in 1984 with a dissertation on the artist Pieter Pourbus. He then joined the Centrum Rubenianum as a researcher and assumed the role of curator at the Rubenshuis. From 1997 to 2014, he served as the Director General of the KMSKA. He was also a key figure during the early days of CODART, joining soon after its foundation in 1998 and serving as a board member until 2007.

Colleagues from the KMSKA note that his tenure was marked by the development of the museum’s master plan for the restoration and expansion of its historic building. Under his leadership, the major renovation project was initiated, ensuring the modernization of the facility while preserving its architectural heritage.

The museum further highlights Huvenne’s instrumental role in establishing its restoration studio and advancing the technical examination of the collection. By fostering a robust network of international museum partnerships, he significantly enhanced the global profile of the KMSKA and its holdings.

Beyond his professional and scholarly achievements, Huvenne is remembered by colleagues for his broad social interests and his remarkable personality.

Our thoughts go out to his family, friends, and all those who were dear to him.