Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent

About the museum

The Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent (MSK) dates back to 1798, when the city, after the French confiscation of art treasures, decided to build a public collection. The collection was first housed in the Sint-Pieterskerk and from 1809 in a room of the Stedelijke Academie. In the nineteenth century the city bought mainly work by living artists at the Ghent salons, so the nineteenth-century section of the collection grew very large.

Toward the end of that century a lot of old art was added, partly thanks to the association De Vrienden van het Museum (Friends of the Museum). Donations, such as the collection of Fernand Scribe in 1913, further enriched the Old Masters. A hundred years after its founding, in 1898, the decision was made for a new museum building by the Citadelpark. Architect Charles van Rysselberghe designed a spacious, neoclassical art temple, built between 1900 and 1904 and extended for the 1913 World Exhibition. After the Second World War the collection could only return to the restored building in 1951; between 2003 and 2007 the museum was thoroughly renovated and rearranged.

The core collection consists of paintings, sculptures, drawings and prints from the fourteenth to the mid-twentieth century, with a strong focus on Flemish and Belgian art in an international context. Alongside medieval works by Bosch and Baroque masters such as Rubens, Jordaens and Frans Hals, it includes an extensive nineteenth-century section. In 2020 the exhibition on Jan van Eyck attracted international attention. Today you can also follow the restoration of the Ghent Altarpiece (Lam Gods) in the museum.

Highlights

• Jheronimus Bosch: De kruisdraging and De heilige Hiëronymus in gebed
• Baroque masters such as Peter Paul Rubens, Jacob Jordaens and Anthony van Dyck
• Frans Hals, Portret van een vrouw
• An extensive collection of nineteenth-century painting
• The neoclassical museum building by Charles van Rysselberghe
• The restoration of the Ghent Altarpiece (Lam Gods), which you can follow during your visit

Permanent exhibition

• Vaste collectiepresentatie – An overview of seven centuries of art, from medieval panels and Baroque masters to nineteenth-century painting and the early twentieth century.

Founded

1798

Operated by

Stad Gent

Director

Anne van Oosterwijk

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Residents of Ghent: every first Sunday of the month, on Late Thursday and during the Gentse Feesten.

The ticket gives access to the permanent collection, the restoration of the Ghent Altarpiece and the current temporary exhibition. Tickets are booked online per time block; e-tickets cannot be changed, exchanged or cancelled, and discounts can no longer be granted afterwards. From 10 January 2027 new rates apply: standard €15, groups €13, Ghent and UiTPAS €10.50, 19 to 25 years €7.50, reduced rate (kansentarief) €3. Free admission with, among others, the Museumpas, CityCard Gent, ICOM, Friends of the MSK, a press card and the guide card of Toerisme Vlaanderen. The Museumpas is also sold at the desk.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The museum states that all spaces are adapted to visitors with physical needs; you can use the visitor lifts. The easiest entrance with a pushchair is at the side of the building. All toilets are gender-neutral. Dogs are not allowed, except guide dogs for visitors with a visual impairment.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Stroller-friendly
• Baby changing facilities

The MSK offers programmes for children and families, with and without a guide: getting to know art, workshops, trails and tours designed for children. From museumPASSmusées the museum received the blue dot for family-friendly venues. There is a breastfeeding room with a changing table.

Getting there & parking

By car you reach the museum via the Charles de Kerchovelaan, the E17 and the E40. Ghent has a low-emission zone. There are bicycle parking facilities in front of the museum.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant
• Museum shop
• Coat check

Museum brasserie Mub’art is open Tuesday to Sunday during the museum’s opening hours and serves local, seasonal dishes, including vegetarian and vegan options. The museum shop is freely accessible without a ticket. Eating and drinking are not allowed in the galleries; next to the cloakroom is a breastfeeding room.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Corporate events

Available for hire are, among others, the Forum, the Hemicycle, the auditorium, a boardroom, a meeting triangle and the covered patio. The museum galleries can also be booked for exclusive activities, with or without catering.

Plan your visit