Charlier Museum

Charlier Museum occupies a 19th-century mansion on Avenue des Arts in Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, Brussels. Sculptor Guillaume Charlier inherited the house, which art collector Henri Van Cutsem had commissioned Victor Horta to remodel. Its rooms retain an intimate domestic feel, with Belgian paintings, portraits, sculptures and porcelain displayed among period furnishings. Look for the music room and the Pleyel piano associated with Toulouse-Lautrec, as well as discreetly placed sculptures in the library. The compact museum is a quiet stop for art and historic interiors.

A collector’s house remodelled by Horta

The museum is set in a 19th-century private mansion once owned by art collector Henri Van Cutsem. He asked architect Victor Horta to join and remodel two houses to accommodate the collection. Sculptor Guillaume Charlier inherited the property in 1904, and the mansion later became a museum.

The house and its contents are closely connected: paintings, sculpture and decorative objects are displayed in rooms that retain the character of a private home. The collection includes Belgian art, with works by Charlier among the paintings and objects gathered by the collectors.

Art among domestic interiors

The rooms bring together paintings, portraits, sculptures and porcelain with period furnishings and decorative arts. Some retain the layout of domestic spaces, including bedrooms and dining rooms. Look up at the stained-glass window details, and take time to notice how the artworks share space with the furniture and objects around them.

In the music room, a Pleyel piano dating from 1899 is associated with Toulouse-Lautrec. The library has small erotic sculptures placed in its corners, so scan the room rather than focusing only on the shelves. Sculpture students have also created exhibitions within the museum.