Jan Verhas 1834-1896
Review of Scholars 1878

Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Bruxelles

Peter Paul Rubens 1577-1640
The Holy Family

Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Bruxelles

Peter Paul Rubens 1577-1640
Mary with Child

Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Bruxelles

Rogier van der Weyden 1399-1440?
Mary with Child

Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Bruxelles

Sandro Botticelli 1444-1510
The Lamentation

Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Bruxelles

Jan Mostaert circa 1540
detail from Passion Triptych

Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Bruxelles

Hans Memling 1440-1494
Mary with Child

Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Bruxelles

Hans Memling 1440-1494
Saint Barbara

Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Bruxelles

Master of the Magdalen Legend 1475-1525
Mary Magdalen

Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Bruxelles

Master of the Magdalen Legend 1475-1525
Kaiser Augustus and the Sibyl

Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Bruxelles

Master of the Armoire of Kaufburen circa1516
detail, Temptation of Saint Anthony

Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Bruxelles

Heironymous Bosch ? -1516
detail, Temptation of Saint Anthony triptych

Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Bruxelles

Jan Gossaert circa 1525
Mary with Child

Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Bruxelles

Théo van Rysselbergh 1899
Woman Reading and her Daughter

Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Bruxelles

Albert Baertsoen 1903
Ghent, Evening

Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Bruxelles

Pablo Gargallo 1929
The Dancer

Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Bruxelles

This striking huge canvas presents itself even before one pays one's admission in the museum's great hall. The vividness of the people -- the girls -- is nearly overwhelming. Back in the background at left one can see the royal couple reviewing the parade: and there's the secret, right there! Belgium is like a big intentional family that treasures its children above everything.

The remarkable thing about this painting, and indeed the paintings in all the museums of Europe, is how many first-class unknowns there are. From America, it seems that european art is a landscape of a few outstanding masters, but from up close we are able to see how many superb sources and imitators surrounded and informed these masters.

There's only one Bosch in the museum, but it's spectacular -- and one can get right in its face and check out the brush strokes and, more important, the exceedingly strange visions of this painter.