Young art critics

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A few weeks back now I took my younger brother and sister to the KMSKB (the Royal museum) in Brussels. So this blogpost will be about how they experienced the museum trip and their opinion about art.

So quick introduction of our young museum/art critics: Thibault is 6 y/o has a few teeth missing and loves his Lego. Agathe is 10 y/o and is a dreamer and is currently reading “A Series of Unfortunate Events” by Lemony Snickets.

We were going to visit the museum, pick a few of our favourite artworks and after the visit we were going to discuss some topics like; what did you like in the museum, what would you change in the museum to make it even better or what did you dislike about the museum.

Their favourite works were quickly picked, Thibault chose The Harbour by Paul Bril. Why? Boats, that’s why. It was a bit difficult to start a conversation about the painting with my brother, I think almost every painting was giving so much information it was to difficult for him to take it all in.

Paul Bril – The harbour

There was more conversation going on with Agathe, she chose the Tower of Babel painted by Joos II de Momper. She chose this painting because she had learned about it at school and knew the whole story by heart. So here goes the story in her words: they build a tower to go break into heaven to see God, but God saw this and made everyone speak another language so they can’t build the tower to heaven.

Joos II de Momper, the Tower Babel

So now some questions, first of what did you like about the museum?

Agathe: there were many different kinds of paintings, stories that happened and others about weird animals (I think she means The Fall of the Rebel Angels by Pieter Bruegel)

Thibault: and boats! And monsters (again probably).

Pieter Bruegel, The fall of the rebel angels

How could the museum be better?

Agathe: people that explain things, but not just in a boring way. There could be activities like after the explaining, or puzzles of the paintings, or quizzes. I would like more new art, and happier art.

Thibault: I want more explanation too and I would like if I can draw there and they would hang it on the wall too.

Is there something you don’t like about the museum?

Agathe: there was a room with a man with horns (Jan Fabres Horns) and you were not allowed to take pictures there, but it is weird because you can take pictures of other art. I didn’t like the video installation neither; I didn’t understand it. (they did not like that sometimes contemporary art just makes no sense)

Thibault: it took a long time to do the whole museum, I didn’t like that very much.

Jan Fabre

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Céline