Two major works by Henry van de Velde are joining Belgian public collections thanks to two philanthropic funds managed by the King Baudouin Foundation: an iconic brooch for the Art & History Museum and an unique binding for the Wittockiana.
The King Baudouin Foundation has acquired a rare work by Peter Paul Rubens: a double-sided sheet (1607) featuring both a drawing and a handwritten letter by the artist. The work offers an intimate glimpse into his creative process, diplomatic role, and international network.
At the request of several archives, the King Baudouin Foundation acquired a rare register and financial records of the Brotherhood of the Holy Circumcision, dating from the 16th to 18th centuries. The documents are now entrusted to the State Archives in Antwerp.
Thanks to the Raphaël and Françoise Haeven Fund, the King Baudouin Foundation has enriched the collection of the Design Museum Brussels with an Art Deco style rug that is emblematic of the Belgian textile artist Elisabeth De Saedeleer. The work will be presented to the public in preview at BRAFA.
The King Baudouin Foundation has acquired The Lamentation of Christ with Donors by Willem Key for M Leuven through the Charles Vreeken Fund. Recently recognised as a Flemish Top Masterpiece, the work will be presented at BRAFA 2026.
