The Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp ( nl, Koninklijke Academie voor Schone Kunsten van Antwerpen) is an

art Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas. There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...

academy An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosop ...

located in Antwerp,

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...

. It is one of the oldest of its kind in Europe. It was founded in 1663 by

David Teniers the Younger David Teniers the Younger or David Teniers II (bapt. 15 December 1610 – 25 April 1690) was a Flemish Baroque painter, printmaker, draughtsman, miniaturist painter, staffage painter, copyist and art curator. He was an extremely versatile ar ...

, painter to the

Archduke Leopold Wilhelm Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria (5 January 1614 – 20 November 1662), younger brother of Emperor Ferdinand III, was an Austrian soldier, administrator and patron of the arts. He held a number of military commands, with limited success, and ...

and Don Juan of Austria. Teniers was master of the

Guild of St Luke The Guild of Saint Luke was the most common name for a city guild for painters and other artists in early modern Europe, especially in the Low Countries. They were named in honor of the Evangelist Luke, the patron saint of artists, who was iden ...

—which embraced arts and some handicrafts—and petitioned

Philip IV of Spain Philip IV ( es, Felipe, pt, Filipe; 8 April 160517 September 1665), also called the Planet King (Spanish: ''Rey Planeta''), was King of Spain from 1621 to his death and (as Philip III) King of Portugal from 1621 to 1640. Philip is remembered ...

, then master of the Spanish Netherlands, to grant a royal charter to establish a Fine Arts Academy in Antwerp. It houses the Antwerp Fashion Academy.

19th century

The Royal Academy developed into an internationally acclaimed institute for Fine Arts, Architecture and Design. From the nineteenth century on, the academy attracted young artists from abroad. Irish, German, Dutch, Polish artists looking for a solid classical training found their way to Antwerp. Under the direction of

Gustave Wappers Egide Charles Gustave, Baron Wappers (23 August 18036 December 1874) was a Belgian painter. His work is generally considered to be Flemish and he signed his work with the Dutch form of his name, Gustaaf Wappers.Note: The painter is known by one ...

(1803-1874) and his registrar

Hendrik Conscience Henri (Hendrik) Conscience (3 December 1812 – 10 September 1883) was a Belgian author. He is considered the pioneer of Dutch-language literature in Flanders, writing at a time when Belgium was dominated by the French language among the upper c ...

, the academy faced significant restructuring. The academy's significant art collection was exhibited in its own gallery space. By 1890, this gallery would develop into the Royal Museum of Fine Arts (Dutch; Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten) and would move to its current location in Antwerp. In 1880, a promising young artist

Henry Van de Velde Henry Clemens van de Velde (; 3 April 1863 – 15 October 1957) was a Belgian painter, architect, interior designer, and art theorist. Together with Victor Horta and Paul Hankar, he is considered one of the founders of Art Nouveau in Belgium. ...

enrolled at the Antwerp Academy. He would become one of the pioneering 20th century architects and designers. In 1885 and 1886,

Vincent van Gogh Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who posthumously became one of the most famous and influential figures in Western art history. In a decade, he created about 2,100 artworks, inc ...

was also to spend a short time at the Antwerp academy, prior to his departure to France. In 1885,

King Leopold II * german: link=no, Leopold Ludwig Philipp Maria Viktor , house = Saxe-Coburg and Gotha , father = Leopold I of Belgium , mother = Louise of Orléans , birth_date = , birth_place = Brussels, Belgium , death_date = ...

commissioned the establishment of the National Higher Institute for Fine Arts Antwerp (Nationaal Hoger Instituut voor Schone Kunsten) as a unique post graduate program, inspired by the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris.

20th and 21st centuries

In 1946, the Architecture program became an independent institute, The National Higher Institute of Architecture. Another key moment in the history of the academy would be 1963. A unique new course ‘Fashion Design’ started. This course was moderately successful from the beginning years, but became renowned in the fashion world during the 1980s when “the

Antwerp Six The Antwerp Six refers to a group of fashion designers who graduated from Antwerp's Royal Academy of Fine Arts between 1980–81. The press began referring to them as a group beginning in about 1990, though the designers are united mostly by o ...

” designers (

Dirk Bikkembergs Dirk Bikkembergs (born 2 January 1959) is a Belgian fashion designer. Early life Dirk Bikkembergs was born in Cologne, Germany, as his father was in the Belgian Army. He lived most of his years in Diepenbeek, Limburg, Belgium. In 1982, B ...

Walter Van Beirendonck Walter Van Beirendonck (born 4 February 1957 in Brecht, Belgium) is a Belgian fashion designer. He is the head of the Fashion Department at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp. He graduated in 1980 from the Royal Arts Academy in Antwer ...

Marina Yee The Antwerp Six refers to a group of fashion designers who graduated from Antwerp's Royal Academy of Fine Arts between 1980–81. The press began referring to them as a group beginning in about 1990, though the designers are united mostly by o ...

Dries Van Noten Baron Dries Van Noten (born 12 May 1958 in Antwerp) is a Belgian fashion designer and an eponymous fashion brand, which he co-founded with CEO and business partner Christine Mathys. Early life and education Van Noten was born into a famil ...

, Dirk Van Saene and

Ann Demeulemeester Ann Verhelst (born 29 December 1959), known professionally as Ann Demeulemeester, is a Belgian fashion designer whose label, Ann Demeulemeester, is mainly showcased at the annual Paris Fashion Week. She is known as one of the Antwerp Six in the ...

) became prominent alumni. Stylistically extremely diverse, these young friends had a huge impact on the contemporary fashion scene. The fashion program attracted more and more talents from all over the globe. With over 130 students it's by far the largest program in the visual arts and design department. In 1995, the Flemish higher educational system faced a radical metamorphosis. The Antwerp Academy and the Henry Van de Velde Institute were included as faculties in a bigger college structure, The University College of Antwerp (Dutch: ''Hogeschool Antwerpen''). However, the Higher Institute of Fine Arts was kept independent and to develop into a separate entity. en tempel bouwen voor de muzen, een korte geschiedenis van de Antwerpse Academie by Jan Lampo, April 1995 885/1985 een eeuw Nationaal Hoger Instituut voor Schone Kunsten te Antwerpen by L.Theo van Looj, 1985/411/7/ref> The Academy nowadays offers three distinctive programs: Visual Arts and Design, Conservation studies and a one-year dedicated teachers training. A body of 540 students (of whom 230 are international) work in the four main buildings located in the heart of the city: Mutsaardstraat (Photography, Silversmithing/Jewelry, Theatre Costume Design and Fine Arts), Nationalestraat (fashion) and Keizerstraat (graphic design). As of September 2013, the programs are offered by the "Artesis Plantijn Hogeschool Antwerpen", a fusion between

Artesis Hogeschool Antwerpen AP or in full Artesis Plantijn University College Antwerp ( nl, Artesis Plantijn Hogeschool Antwerpen), founded in 1995, is a non-profit public higher education institution located in the urban setting of the city of Antwerp (population range of ...

and

Plantijn Hogeschool AP or in full Artesis Plantijn University College Antwerp ( nl, Artesis Plantijn Hogeschool Antwerpen), founded in 1995, is a non-profit public higher education institution located in the urban setting of the city of Antwerp (population range of ...

''Nurse of Painters''

Shortly after the founding of Antwerp Academy, three large paintings were executed for its meeting hall. ''Antwerp, Nurse of Painters'', by

Theodoor Boeyermans Theodoor Boeyermans, Theodor Boeyermans or Theodor Boeijermans (10 November 1620 – January 1678) was a Flemish painter active in Antwerp who painted Baroque history paintings and group portraits informed by the tradition of Peter Paul Rubens a ...

(1665; 188 x 454 cm), promotes the city's recent artistic past. Portraits of

Peter Paul Rubens Sir Peter Paul Rubens (; ; 28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640) was a Flemish artist and diplomat from the Duchy of Brabant in the Southern Netherlands (modern-day Belgium). He is considered the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque tradit ...

and Anthony van Dyck watch over students as they practise the arts. At the centre is the allegorical ''Antverpia pictorum nutrix'' ("Antwerp, nurse of painters"). ''

Chronos Chronos (; grc-gre, Χρόνος, , "time"), also spelled Khronos or Chronus, is a personification of time in pre-Socratic philosophy Pre-Socratic philosophy, also known as early Greek philosophy, is ancient Greek philosophy before Socrat ...

'' accompanies other young students who present their artwork. The river god ''Scaldis'', a

personification Personification occurs when a thing or abstraction is represented as a person, in literature or art, as a type of anthropomorphic metaphor. The type of personification discussed here excludes passing literary effects such as "Shadows hold their b ...

of Antwerp's river

Scheldt The Scheldt (french: Escaut ; nl, Schelde ) is a river that flows through northern France, western Belgium, and the southwestern part of the Netherlands, with its mouth at the North Sea. Its name is derived from an adjective corresponding to ...

, symbolises with his

cornucopia In classical antiquity, the cornucopia (), from Latin ''cornu'' (horn) and ''copia'' (abundance), also called the horn of plenty, was a symbol of abundance and nourishment, commonly a large horn-shaped container overflowing with produce, flowers ...

the wealth and bounty of the city's artistic heritage.

Notable alumni

Willis Seaver Adams Willis Seaver Adams (1844–1921) was a landscape painter who studied under James Abbott McNeill Whistler. He studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, Belgium and was part of the Tonalism movement, which took place in the late 19 ...

Willem Albracht Willem Albracht (1861 – 1922) was a Belgian painter Biography Willem Albracht son of Adolph Bernhard Albracht and Anna Wilhelmina Robart, was a painter of portraits, interiors and landscapes, born in Antwerp in 1861, died in Berchem-lez-Anvers ...

Lawrence Alma-Tadema Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, (; born Lourens Alma Tadema ; 8 January 1836 – 25 June 1912) was a Dutch painter who later settled in the United Kingdom becoming the last officially recognised denizen in 1873. Born in Dronryp, the Netherlands, ...

Wilhelm Busch Heinrich Christian Wilhelm Busch (14 April 1832 – 9 January 1908) was a German humorist, poet, illustrator, and painter. He published wildly innovative illustrated tales that remain influential to this day. Busch drew on the tropes of f ...

George Edmund Butler George Edmund Butler ( – ) was a landscape and portrait painter specialising in oils and watercolours. Born in England, his family emigrated to New Zealand when he was 11 years old. After completing his schooling, he studied art at the Welling ...

Jan Cockx Jan Cockx (1891, Boechout – 26 August 1976) was a Belgian painter perhaps best known for landscapes, still life and harbor scenes. Working with exuberant colors and mostly large-scale canvases, Cockx often painted simple subjects in vibrant wa ...

Georges Croegaert Georges Croegaert (7 October 1848 – 1923) was a Belgian academic painter who spent most of his career in Paris. He is known for his genre paintings of scenes from elegant society and portraits of women. He also had a reputation for his humorou ...

Pieter Franciscus Dierckx Pieter Franciscus Dierckx (29 May 1862 – 4 September 1950) was a Belgian impressionist painter. Life Dierckx was born and died in Berchem (Antwerp). He studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts and at the higher institute of arts of Ant ...

* Marthe Donas * John Duncan * Frans-Andries Durlet *

Jan Fabre Jan Fabre (born 14 December 1958) is a Belgian multidisciplinary artist, playwright, stage director, choreographer and designer. Conviction for sexual assault and harassment In September 2018, twenty former members of Fabre's performing ar ...

David Foggie David Foggie RSA (31 December 1878 Dundee – 2 June 1948), was a Scottish painter, born to parents James and Margaret Foggie. By the time of his death, David Foggie was a known name across Scotland. Since that time he had sunk into obscurity ...

Frans Geerts Frans Geerts (14 September 1869 in Antwerp – 30 June 1957 in Borgerhout) was a Belgian painter. While Geerts predominantly made oil paintings, he also used watercolors and ink drawings to create realistic and romantic portraits, pastoral and ...

Jan Geeraerts Jan Geeraerts (Antwerp, 15 May 1814 – Antwerp, 9 January 1890) was a Belgian painter. He is known for his realist interiors of churches and other ancient buildings. He also painted genre scenes and religious subjects.Dictionnaire des peintres ...

Demna Gvasalia Demna Gvasalia ( ka, დემნა გვასალია ; born 25 March 1981), known as Demna ( ) is a Georgian fashion designer, currently the creative director of Balenciaga and the co-founder of Vetements. Early life and education Demn ...

* Dr. Hugo Heyrman *

Floris Jespers Floris Jespers (18 March 1889 in Borgerhout – 16 April 1965 in Antwerp) was a Belgian Avant-garde painter. After his graduation from the Antwerp Academy of Fine Arts, he hooked up with the poet Paul Van Ostaijen and joined the Antwerp avant ...

Nicaise de Keyser Nicaise de Keyser (alternative first names: Nicaas, Nikaas of Nicasius; 26 August 1813, Zandvliet – 17 July 1887, Antwerp) was a Belgian painter of mainly history paintings and portraits who was one of the key figures in the Belgian Romantic-hi ...

Jef Lambeaux Jef Lambeaux or Josef Lambeaux (14 January 18525 June 1908) was a Belgian sculptor. His best known work is '' Temple of Human Passions'', a colossal marble bas-relief. Early life and education Lambeaux was born in Antwerp, Belgium, on 14 Janua ...

* Evert Larock *

Devon Halfnight LeFlufy Devon Halfnight LeFlufy (born 26 March 1984) is a Canadian fashion designer based in Antwerp, Belgium. He studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, graduating with both a BA and MA in Fashion Design. LeFlufy trained under Maria Cornejo and Wal ...

William Logsdail William Logsdail (25 May 1859 – 3 September 1944) was a prolific English landscape, portrait, and genre painter. He exhibited at the Royal Academy, the Royal Society of British Artists, the Grosvenor Gallery, the New Gallery (London), and oth ...

Ford Madox Brown Ford Madox Brown (16 April 1821 – 6 October 1893) was a British painter of moral and historical subjects, notable for his distinctively graphic and often William Hogarth, Hogarthian version of the Pre-Raphaelite style. Arguably, his mos ...

Martin Margiela Martin Margiela (born 9 April 1957) is a Belgian fashion designer, artist, and founder of French luxury fashion house Maison Margiela. Throughout his career, Margiela has maintained a low profile, refusing to grant face-to-face interviews or be ...

Gustav Metzger Gustav Metzger (10 April 1926, Nuremberg – 1 March 2017, London) was a German artist and political activist who developed the concept of Auto-Destructive Art and the Art Strike. Together with John Sharkey, he initiated the Destruction in Ar ...

Nat Neujean Nathanael Neujean (5 January 1923 – 4 February 2018) was a Belgian sculptor from Antwerp. A figurative artist, he mostly worked in plaster and bronze. His works are held in various international collections. He has been honored as a Grand Offic ...

Jef Nys Jozef "Jef" Nys (30 January 1927 – 20 October 2009) was a Belgian comic book creator. He was best known for his comic strip '' Jommeke''. Biography Early years Jozef Nys was born in Berchem, Belgium in 1927.De Weyer, Geert (2005). "Jef Ny ...

Roderic O'Conor Roderic O'Conor (17 October 1860 – 18 March 1940) was an Irish painter who spent much of his later career in Paris and as part of the Pont-Aven movement. O'Conor's work demonstrates Impressionist and Post-Impressionist influence. Early life ...

Walter Osborne Walter Frederick Osborne (17 June 1859 – 24 April 1903) was an Irish impressionist and Post-Impressionism landscape and portrait painter, best known for his documentary depictions of late 19th century working class life. Most of his painti ...

Panamarenko Henri Van Herwegen (5 February 1940 – 14 December 2019), known by the pseudonym Panamarenko, was a prominent assemblagist Belgian sculptor. Famous for his work with aeroplanes as theme; none of which are able nor constructed to actually leave ...

* Mommie Schwarz *

Hideki Seo was a Japanese-born French fashion designer and artist. Biography Hideki Seo was born on 10 May 1974. He graduated from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Antwerp after studying visual design at the Kyoto University of Art. Seo worked as the ...

Heaven Tanudiredja Heaven Tanudiredja (born 1982) is an Indonesian fashion designer living and working in Antwerp, Belgium. He is noted for his sculptural accessories, yet he trained in womenswear not accessory design from the prestigious Royal Academy of Fine A ...

Luc Tuymans Luc Tuymans (born 14 June 1958) is a Belgian visual artist best known for his paintings which explore people's relationship with history and confront their ability to ignore it. World War II is a recurring theme in his work. He is a key figure ...

Kris Van Assche Kris Van Assche (born 12 May 1976) is a Belgian fashion designer. He was the creative director of Berluti (2018-2021), a luxury leather brand owned by LVMH, and artistic director for Dior Homme from 2007 to 2018. Early life and education Van Ass ...

* Jan van Beers *

Haider Ackermann Haider Ackermann (born 29 March 1971) is a Colombian-born French designer of ready-to-wear fashion. He lives in Paris. Early life Born in Bogotá, Colombia in 1971, Ackermann was adopted at the age of nine months by a French Alsatian family. H ...

Piet Verhaert Piet Verhaert (Antwerp, 25 February 1852 – Oostduinkerke, 4 August 1908) was a Belgian painter. He was a member of Les XX. Life and career Verhaert was a painter and etcher of townscapes, interiors, figures and portraits. He was also a notabl ...

* Michel Marie Charles Verlat *

Bernardus Weber Bernardus “Ben” Matheus Antonius Weber (born March 29, 1912, in Tilburg, the NetherlandsOctober 23, 1996 in Camarillo, California) was a Dutch sculptor, draughtsman, and pastellist. He received the honor of knighthood in the Dutch Order of Orang ...

Albert Edelfelt Albert Gustaf Aristides Edelfelt (21 July 1854 – 18 August 1905) was a Finnish-Swedish painter noted for his naturalistic style and Realist approach to art. He lived in the Grand Duchy of Finland and made Finnish culture visible abroad, befor ...

Anne-Mie Van Kerckhoven Anne-Mie Van Kerckhoven (born 5 December, 1951) is a Belgian artist whose work involves painting, drawing, computer art and video art. Biography Anne-Mie Van Kerckhoven (also known as ''AMVK'') was born in Antwerp and lives in Antwerp and Ber ...

Minju Kim Minju Kim (born ) is a South Korean fashion designer known for her womenswear and use of bold prints. In 2020 she was named the winner of the first season of Netflix's '' Next In Fashion''. Kim was born in Gwangju, South Korea and studied in ...

Barış Manço Mehmet Barış Manço (born Tosun Yusuf Mehmet Barış Manço; 2 January 1943 – 1 February 1999), better known by his stage name Barış Manço, was a Turkish rock musician, singer, composer, actor, television producer and show host. Beg ...

References

External links

*
ap-arts.be
official website of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts
History Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp , AP School Of Arts
{{Authority control Culture in Antwerp Educational institutions established in the 1660s 1663 establishments in the Habsburg Netherlands Education in Antwerp