Collection

Have you ever visited the Merghelynck Museum? Then you will surely remember the autoclystère or clysopompe. Its popularity makes it one of the museum's most prized exhibits. But what exactly is it?

Many portraits in the Merghelynck Museum are shrouded in mystery. Often, we do not know who the subject is. And even in the rare cases where we do have that information, there is sometimes something strange going on.

The Merghelynck Museum has a remarkable history. The museum is named after its founder, Arthur Merghelynck (1853-1908). Thanks to his fortune, Merghelynck was able to focus entirely on his hobbies: history, genealogy and collecting. His family history inspired him to establish what he called “Hôtel-Musée Merghelynck”, now known as the Merghelynck Museum.

A noble young lady wearing a hoop skirt and a tall wig sits in a beautifully decorated sedan chair. Her two footmen, smartly dressed in breeches, waistcoats, tailcoats and flat wigs, are taking a break. One of them, with a small dog at his feet, takes the opportunity to take a drink. The young lady is being addressed in an obviously friendly manner by a fashionably dressed clergyman. The suggestion is clear: flirting is taking place here.

The Ypres Museum recently received some wonderful news from the Flemish Minister of Culture: one of the drawings from the collection will be included in the list of movable cultural heritage of the Flemish Community, also known as “the Masterpiece List”.

The Merghelynck Museum's collection includes a series of fashionable garments. Most of them are made of fragile materials and therefore require the utmost care. The collection includes textiles, such as beautiful cloaks, but also accessories such as a walking stick, a clock and jewellery. There is a lot to say about the shoes. They probably date from the 19th century, but are inspired by 18th-century fashion. The red heels in particular capture the imagination. Are they the precursors of the red Louboutin soles?

The Minister of Culture, Jan Jambon, has decided to permanently include a number of drawings from the Merghelynck Museum collection in the list of movable cultural heritage of the Flemish Community, or the “Top Pieces List”. These are works of art from the neoclassical period: the late 18th century to the early 19th century, which is the museum's main area of collection.

The most beautiful snuff box in the Merghelynck Museum collection is undoubtedly this Rococo masterpiece by the famous Ghent engraver Norbert Heylbrouck. At the top is an allegory of the arts. The sides depict the birth of Venus, the gods on Mount Olympus, Vulcan's forge and the god Neptune.

“The Five Senses” is the name of this 17th-century painting attributed to Theodoor van Thulden, which adorns the majestic staircase of the Merghelynck Museum. Each of the senses is represented by one or more characters performing an action with an object.

In the music room of the Merghelynck Museum hangs a beautiful neoclassical portrait of a lovely young lady. We do not know who she is, which is a great pity. The self-assured lady wears a red and blue cloth over her simple lace-trimmed blouse. Anyone wearing these colours around 1790 did so for a reason. Together, they form the bleu-blanc-rouge of the French revolutionaries. The portrait is therefore a clear political statement.

Thanks to the keyboard on our computers and smartphones, writing a message has never been easier than it is today. That was quite different in the past: it took a lot of work to write a letter, an order or a report. An ink set was indispensable for this. The Merghelynck Museum has a beautiful rococo example of one in its collection.

The Merghelynck Museum has two drawings from the mid-19th century depicting a funeral scene at the municipal cemetery in Ypres. “Herinnering aan Thérèse Walwein” (In memory of Thérèse Walwein) dates from 1844 and is by François Böhm. “Le tombeau de ma chère Lucie” is by his brother Désiré Böhm and dates from 1853 or shortly thereafter.