Discover the collection: 'Impressive!'

Nature. Amazement and science

At the time of the great voyages of discovery, printmaking was in full development. Ships set sail for the four corners of the world and returned with stories and goods from strange, exotic places. Printmakers made detailed depictions of these discoveries. Their work illustrates how both art and science search for ways to depict and explain the world.

Bie, volunteer image maker

“Maria Sibylla Merian is one of the few female artists in the collection. She had a passion for research and science, and made important contributions to such fields as insectology. This particularly beautiful print shows a triumphant caiman and a very agile snake.”

Battle. About glory and horror

Many prints depict the glory of war: magnificent battlefields, horsemen in gleaming armour, victorious generals... But some artists also portray what remains when the cannon roar has died down: sons and fathers who do not return home, people wandering orphaned among the rubble.

Stefan, conservation volunteer

“It struck me that a large part of the collection is about war, and that the makers also have an eye for the suffering and pain of ordinary people.

The Leuven artist Albert Delaunois took to the streets himself in August 1914 to depict how German soldiers had destroyed the city. You can see from his sketches that he had to do it quickly and in secret.”

Leuven. Monuments and people

Many of the prints and drawings in the collection reflect 500 years of local history. They show how Leuven used to look, but also how it wanted to be seen: as an ambitious town with impressive buildings. The prints also give an impression of how the people of Leuven lived: poverty, war and destruction were depicted just as much as peace, prosperity and entertainment.

Bart, volunteer for registrations

“I know many of the places depicted in the prints. It is very interesting that you can see how it used to be. This print of Arenberg castle, for example: the artist stood on the spot where I often stand. He has depicted the water mill and the chapel above the gate very beautifully.”

Nature. Peace and reflection

Prints were mainly made in the cities. Significantly, therefore, they often have nature and life in the countryside as subjects. They evoke an idyllic image of innocence and simplicity, of noble farmers and shepherds living in harmony with nature. That longing for peace, greenery and tranquillity is still present today – perhaps even more so than back then 

Frans, volunteer registration

“Walking in greenery brings me peace. Apparently, this love for nature is timeless, because many prints and drawings from the collection depict a paradisiacal kind of nature.”

“In the walker with the stick I recognise something of myself. He looks out over the fields and becomes completely stills – you can see him thinking.”

Love. Idyll and Deceit

Love unleashes the fiercest of emotions. It brings out the most beautiful in people, but also the ugliest. In art, this theme can be found in all periods and all genres. The print room, too, contains countless love scenes: images of pleasure and idyll, but also of envy and deceit. No roses without thorns, although love conquers all in the end.

Annemie, volunteer image maker 

“These prints represent current events for me. Relationships are under pressure, opposites are driven to the extreme. This leads to sadness, jealousy and broken relationships. But on the other hand, there are people who are starting to realise again how incredibly valuable their love for each other is.”