Heritage Days
Venez nous rendre visite lors d'un tour guidé, uniquement en français.
Time & Location
16 Sept 2023, 10:00 – 18:00
Queens Brussels, Av. de la Reine 266, 1020 Bruxelles, Belgium
About the Event
This neoclassical town house was built in 1876 and extended upwards in 1887 when it became the home of Émile Bockstael, Mayor of Laeken/Laken, who lived here until 1920. A series of paintings inspired by the art of Ancient Egypt adorns the hall and stairwell, but whether they were commissioned by Bockstael – a member of the Cercle des Amis Philanthropes (Circle of Philanthropic Friends), whose temple marked the high point of Egyptomania – or the next owner remains a mystery. Experts have worked out that the artist based the works on tombs at the necropolises of Beni Hasan and Dra’ Abu el-Naga’. With an Empire-style office on the first floor, a Louis-XVI drawing room, a dining room lined with tapestries on rustic themes (known as Ténières) and a veranda decorated in Art Nouveau floral style, the building seems to be a compendium of the history of art. Queens holds exhibitions here and hosts chamber music concert.