Museum Smidt van Gelder

Museum Smidt van Gelder is a former museum and historic mansion located in Antwerp, Belgium. Established to house the private art collection of the paper manufacturer and philanthropist Pieter Smidt van Gelder, the institution opened its doors to the public in 1950 after Smidt van Gelder donated the property and its contents to the city. Housed in a luxurious belle epoque townhouse on the Belgielei, the museum displayed a diverse assemblage of decorative arts and paintings until its closure following a fire in 1987. Although no longer functioning as a traditional museum, the site remains a significant monument of Antwerp heritage, having recently undergone extensive restoration.

The history of the site as a cultural institution began when Pieter Smidt van Gelder purchased the building in 1937 to accommodate his large art collection and personal residence. In 1949, he formally gifted both the building and the collection to the city of Antwerp, under the condition that he be allowed to reside there until his death. The museum subsequently opened to the public in 1950. Following Smidt van Gelder's death in 1956, the museum continued to operate until February 2, 1987, when a fire badly damaged the structure, forcing its temporary closure. Plans to reopen the museum in 1993, when Antwerp served as a European Capital of Culture, ultimately fell through. In 2000, the institution entered a collaborative partnership called De Kunstmusea with the Museum Mayer van den Bergh and the Rubenshuis. After the fire, the building faced severe stability problems and a period of neglect, and the city even considered selling it to property developers. Public protests successfully prevented the sale, saving the structure from demolition.

The museum's holdings comprised a varied mix of decorative and fine arts reflecting the personal tastes of its founder. The collection encompassed furniture, paintings, bibliophile books, ceramics, porcelain, and glass. The painting collection was particularly strong in Dutch Golden Age works, featuring landscapes, still lifes, and genre scenes. Following the closure of the museum, the collection was transferred to a storage depot, and parts are now sporadically exhibited in other museums. The collection of precious book bindings was separated from the main body of holdings in 1964 and transferred to the Antwerp City Library.

The painting collection included numerous works by Dutch masters. Notable still life paintings included works by Pieter Claesz, Willem Claesz. Heda, and Harmen Steenwijck, such as the latter's Still Life with Fruit and Dead Birds. Landscape art was well represented by Jan van Goyen, with works like Dune landscape with an Inn from 1631, and Salomon van Ruysdael's River Landscape with the Ruins of the Egmond Castle. Animalier and genre paintings formed another strength, including Melchior d'Hondecoeter's The bird concert from circa 1675 to 1680, Willem van Mieris's The Dead Mouse from 1693, and Philips Wouwerman's The Untamed Horse. Townscapes and topographical views by Jan ten Compe, such as his View of Delft from 1750, and Gerrit Adriaensz. Berckheyde's Grote Houtpoort at Haarlem were also part of the collection.

The museum is housed in a former townhouse known as Hotel Thys, located at Belgielei 91. The building was originally constructed in 1905 as a city palace for the Antwerp banker and businessman Edouard Thys-Cateaux. The renowned architect Joseph Hertogs designed the belle epoque residence, which features an interior executed in an eighteenth century style. Pieter Smidt van Gelder purchased the property in 1937, saving it from demolition. The site includes a notable French garden adorned with cherubs and fountains. In 2002, both the building and the garden were officially classified as protected monuments by minister Paul Van Grembergen. Restoration work began that same year but was halted due to structural instability. A comprehensive restoration project was initiated in 2022 and completed in the spring of 2025, restoring the original grandeur and spatial layout of the mansion while implementing necessary updates for stability and fire safety.

The former museum is located at Belgielei 91, 2018 Antwerp, Belgium. After decades of standing empty due to fire and structural issues, the restored building opened its doors to the public for the first time during the Open Monument Day on September 8, 2024. The restoration was carried out by AG Vespa, which has transformed the site into a polyvalent and flexible monument. While a permanent new cultural or educational function for the building is still under consideration, the site is currently accessible for specific public visitation events.