Musée Magritte

Musée Magritte Review

The third museum in a triumvirate, this is the new kid on the block. After years sharing display space with his contemporaries in the neighboring Musée d'Art Moderne, Brussels's own surrealist genius René Magritte (1898-1967) was finally handed the honor of his own museum in 2009. It was clearly long overdue as it pulled in half a million visitors within the first year. You can reach it through an underground passage from the Musée d'Art Ancien, or enter via the separate entrance on place Royale where it is housed. Note: you must buy tickets first at the central desk in the Musée d'Art Ancien. An elevator on level two whisks you up to level three, where the collection starts. The exhibition traces Magritte's life and work chronically, expanding key moments through letters, sculptures, films, and of course, a great many fine canvases. There are around 200 paintings on display, including such masterpieces as the haunting The Empire of Light andThe Domain of Arnheim.