Three questions for an M-art patron: “M never fails to impress my overseas guests.”

Which part of the collection do you prefer?

“I am especially fond of the classical works. Contemporary art speaks to me less, although I must admit that I was charmed by the recent Alicja Kwade exhibition. And by becoming an M-Patron, I hope to familiarize myself more with contemporary art as well.”

“Personally, I have a soft spot for 19th-century painting. A while ago, I digitized a rather large collection of photographs from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Those early photographers had a keen eye for the nuances of light, and their acute observational skills are reflected in the painting of that era, particularly in the landscapes of the naturalists and luminists. I love visiting M to marvel at them.”

Is there one artwork that especially moves you?

“Yes: ‘Enfant jouant sur la rive’ [Child Playing on the Bank] – a work by the Belgian painter Evariste Carpentier, currently on display in ‘M’s Collection’. It’s a painting of a girl standing pensively by the water, in a landscape that seems to envelop and protect her. By the way, that beautifully painted landscape already leans slightly towards Impressionism – it is quite softly rendered.”

“This is something completely different, of course, but in ‘Knowledge in Sight’, one of the recent exhibitions marking 600 years of KU Leuven, there was a brilliant display centred around the Leuven Chansonnier – a 15th-century manuscript of polyphonic songs, which you could explore and immerse yourself in at M. This was of such high calibre, both in terms of content and presentation. I witnessed the utter astonishment of many of my international colleagues as they looked and listened.”