The Musée des Beaux-Arts in Tournai, Belgium, is an art museum.
The inception of the museum was in the beginning of the 20th century when Henri Van Cutsem, a Belgian art collector, offered his collection to the city of Tournai in 1905. The collection contained important works of important 19th century French painters like Manet, Monet, Seurat and others.
The Belgian Art Nouveau architect Victor Horta started drafting a new building that would contain the Van Cutsem donation and other holdings already owned by the city of Tournai but the First World War intervened and construction was delayed. Horta abandoned his first designs made in a typical Art Nouveau style, shifting to the popular art deco style. The building, which opened in 1928, is a graceful curved version of usually strict linearity of art deco, in this, it is similar to Horta's Brussels Central Station.
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The Rubenshuis is the former home and workshop of Peter Paul Rubens in Antwerp. Purchased in 1610, Rubens had the Flemish townhouse renovated and extended on the basis of designs by Rubens himself. After the renovations the house and its courtyard garden had the outlook of an Italian palazzo, which reflected Rubens' artistic ideals. The ensemble is now a museum dedicated mainly to the work of Rubens and his contemporaries.
The Centre for Fine Arts is a cultural venue in Brussels, Belgium. Often referred to as BOZAR in French or PSK in Dutch, the building was completed in 1929 at the instigation of Henry Le Bœuf and includes exhibition and conference rooms, a cinema and a concert hall, which serves as home to the National Orchestra of Belgium.
Liège Cathedral, otherwise St. Paul's Cathedral, Liège, in Liège, Belgium, is part of the religious heritage of Liège. Founded in the 10th century, it was rebuilt from the 13th to the 15th century and restored in the mid-19th century. It became a Roman Catholic cathedral in the 19th century due to the destruction of Saint Lambert's Cathedral in 1795. It is the seat of the Diocese of Liège.
The Basilica of Our Lady of Hanswijk is a Roman Catholic basilica in Mechelen, Belgium. The basilica is a famous place of pilgrimage in Belgium, the statue was crowned on 30 July 1876 by Cardinal Deschamps by request of pope Pius IX.
Kuurne is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises only the town of Kuurne proper. On January 1, 2006, Kuurne had a total population of 12,591. The total area is 10.01 km² which gives a population density of 1258 inhabitants per km². The Leie functions as a natural border between Kuurne and Harelbeke.
Inhabitants from Kuurne are nicknamed 'donkeys'. This is said to be a term of derision given to them by the people of nearby Kortrijk because traders from Kuurne habitually set off for the Kortrijk market at an early hour, their ass-drawn carts laden with vegetables. Awoken by the rattle of the cart wheels and the braying of the asses, the people of Kortrijk exclaimed: "It's those asses from Kuurne again!"
An alternative, more legendary explanation originates from the tale of a priest who had to hold a funeral on Ash Wednesday. He asked the sacrister to take over his regular service, but the latter couldn't remember the Latin words "Memento, homo, quia pulvis es, et in pulverem reverteris" , which are to be proclaimed while applying a cross of ash to the foreheads of the churchgoers. Later the priest spoke to him in exasperation, saying: "You were born an ass, and you will die an ass!" "Aha," said the sacrister, "I'll remember that!" and so saying, he continued giving the people of Kuurne their crosses of ash.
The best-known donkey in Kuurne is 'Ambroos' , a larger-than-life and somewhat stylised statue in front of the town hall. The winner of the annual pro cycling race Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne received a big bouquet and a soft toy version of 'Ambroos' to wave from the stage.
In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the poetry, lyric songs, and myths that were related orally for centuries in ancient Greek culture.
The word "muse" can refer in general to anyone or anything which inspires an artist, musician, or writer.
