Fine Art in Bruges
The city of Bruges had undisputedly its heyday in the 14th and the 15th century. First as a mercantile town, then as a painter’s paradise as enriched local patrons begun charging artists with sumptuous commands in the newly invented and quickly popular oil painting technique. At the end of the 15th century, only the most eminent of Italian cities could dispute Bruges' position as the art center of the western world.
Today Bruges is better known for its exceptionally maintained medieval character than for being on the forefront of the visual arts. Despite the considerable international fame that the city of Bruges enjoys, and notwithstanding the fact that the town and its citizens still have their particularly poignant commercial sense, there is currently no visual arts festival, nor art fair, worthy of mention.
The internationally renowned Bruges International Fine Arts and Antiques Fair, held in October each year and that took place under the Belfry tower, closed its doors in 2003 after having persevered in its mission for more than nineteen years. It is being said that the general slump on the world antique market at that particular time forced the fair to cease its activity.
As for ART GALLERIES, there are but a handful and of little renown. As you may understand, most of the commerce in Bruges is of dubious quality as it mainly caters for the hordes of tourists that visit the city as part of tour packages. On the other hand, the more sophisticated individual weekend tourism is rather centred on well-being in a fairy tale setting than on arduous art exploration.
