HORTA & WOLFERS ~ THE WOLFERS FRERES 1912 JEWELLERY SHOP

we enjoyed private guidance by Prof. dr. Werner Adriaenssens, curator 20th century collections @ www.kmkg-mrah.be

this gallery in the vast RMAH museum is dedicated to Janine Schotsmans-Wolters (1924-1991) and Claire Nelly Baeyens-Wolfers (1926-2016), grand- daughters of Philippe Wolfers and daughters of Marcel Wolfers. designed by the famous Art Nouveau architect Victor Horta, the new premises of the business of the famous goldsmith-jeweller Wolfers Freres in the rue d'Arenberg, Brussels were officially inaugurated on 4 November 1912 and were home to the Wolfers business until 1973. subsequently, the shop furnishings were dismantled and gifted by the Wolfers family to the Royal Museums of Art and History where they were set up in a minimal display.

Within the reconstituted shop, exceptional works of art from the historical Art Nouveau and Art Deco collections of the Royal Museums have been deployed to help recount the story of Wolfers Freres. Indeed, these Royal Museums boast by far the most important collection of decorative art from those two art styles. 

arty-farty.fun's opinion: ***** ( ~ exceptionally briljant)
it is rather exceptional for one to be able to see so many unique world class objects from the Art Nouveau period, and to admire all these marvels in in such an original setting (an original Horta shop). with grateful thanks to our personal guide of the day, Prof. dr. Werner Adriaenssens, a connaisseur in the matter.

rue de la Vallée 40,  1050 Brussels

Ernest Blerot was a Belgian architect (1870-1957), was one of the most prolific Art Nouveau style Brussels architects of his time.  most of his work was produced between 1898 and 1904, the period during which he achieved around fifty mansions.

arty-farty.fun's opinion: ***
not a top architect of the art nouveau movement but one of the most interesting protagonists of Art Nouveau in Brussels, designing houses for the lower middle classes. the bourgeois houses with a "bel étage", stained glass windows, sgraffito, ironwork, mosaics, woodwork features and door handles . a mix of elements combining Neo-Classic houses with Art Nouveau decoration.

we were kindly recieved by the Brussels gallery host, Mme Sophie Hasaerts.

rue de la Vallée 40,  1050 Brussels, M (+32) 0495 28 59 71, info@galerieflore.com

galerie Flore, ° 1998, presents a selection of furniture combining the best creations of the 18th century French, from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, as well as a selection of contemporary international artists. the gallery has always had the art of bringing together eras and styles, between tradition and innovation, and exhibited in the largest international fairs, including TEFAF in Maastricht, for many years.

arty-farty.fun's opinion: ****
Galerie Flore is  an elegant place to discover / procure top old art and high-quality contemporary art in a casual atmosphere.

un restaurant servant des spécialités de brasserie et des fruits de mer frais. depuis 1986, la brasserie est connu pour sa cuisine française de qualité. fondée en 1986 par Georges Neefs et Georges André, les Brasseries Georges font partie des restaurants incontournables de la région bruxelloise. Son ambiance conviviale typique des brasseries parisiennes, son cadre art déco et sa cuisine de qualité ont séduit au fil des années habitués et gens de passage.

arty-farty.fun's opinion: ****
pure nostalgia, in an art deco atmosphere. voted among the top 5 brasseries in Europe, with the widest choice of oysters and shellfish. and we fully agree.