Musée des Beaux-Arts, Tournai

The project grew out of a collaboration between three men: the patron Henri Van Cutsem, who wanted to secure the future of his collection, Victor Horta and the sculptor Guillaume Charlier. The idea was first put forward in 1903, and the following year Van Cutsem bequeathed his collection of modern art. Horta drew up a series of preliminary schemes, reworked into an ever more ambitious whole that ended up threatening the planned budget.

Building work did not begin until 1913, and the First World War stopped it for ten years. In 1923 Horta took the project up again and simplified his latest scheme to save money. The museum was inaugurated in 1928.

Horta's museum has been listed in its entirety as a monument since 13 October 1980 and is on the list of Wallonia's exceptional heritage. In 2016 the practice of Xaveer De Geyter and the architect Barbara Van der Wee were chosen to restore and enlarge the museum.

The building is laid out on a plan shaped like a "turtle". It is one of Horta's few public commissions to show his move from Art Nouveau to Art Deco.

The monumental facade is of Tournai limestone. The outer shell is relatively restrained: only a few decorative elements stand out, at the entrance porch, which is crowned by a monumental sculpture group by Guillaume Charlier.

Beyond a spacious reception area, broad radiating galleries open off the central hall, which is devoted to sculpture.

Glass roofs cover the whole building and spread the light; over the galleries they give overhead light. Most of the walls are blind, and their decoration stays limited for reasons of budget.

The museum shows paintings, drawings and sculptures from the 15th to the 19th century, with a few contemporary additions. Its holdings come mostly from the collection of the Brussels patron Henri Van Cutsem and from older local collections. Visitors will find works by Manet (Argenteuil, Chez le père Lathuille), Monet, Seurat and Van Gogh, as well as Flemish Primitives such as Campin and Rogier de le Pasture (Rogier van der Weyden).

The museum is open Tuesday to Saturday from 9.30 am to 5 pm, and on Sundays and public holidays from 11 am to 5 pm; it is closed on Monday. The ticket desk closes half an hour before closing time. A visit lasts about an hour on average. Admission is free for everyone on the first Sunday of the month, and the museum is accessible to visitors with reduced mobility. For a guided group visit, the tourist office helps to organise and book it.

The museum stands on Rue de l'Enclos Saint-Martin, a 20-minute walk from Tournai station.