Snijders & Rockox House
Snijders&Rockoxhuis

History buffs and fans of the painter Rubens can’t miss this hidden gem. The museum is dedicated to Mayor Rockox and still life painter Snijders

The house once belonged to Nicolaas Rockox, the mayor of Antwerp, and his wife Adriana Perez. Rockox had the art collection every art lover has dreamed of. He had 87 pieces of art by multiple artists (Peter Paul Rubens, Pieter Bruegel, Anthony van Dyck, and more).

Rockox actually lived next door to still life painter Frans Snijders for 20 years. Snijders was an apprentice to Pieter Brueghel II and Hendrik Van Balen. Later in life, painters including Rubens asked him to put still life and animals into their art.

• Any big fans of Rubens need to drop by the house. Rubens and the mayor were close friends. Some of Rubens major works were made originally for the Rockox house including Samson and Deliah!
• In 2020, the museum is hosting an art exhibition called Blind Date. It’s not about blind dating - it’s all about portraits! But it could be a good date idea if that’s the sort of thing you’re in to
• Rockox’s original art collection was auctioned after his death, but there’s still plenty of art pieces to see here and they get some good work on loan too
• What were homes like in the 17th century? The houses show how Rockox and Snijders actually lived. These domestic pieces add a nice touch to the museum
• The Snijders House opened more recently in 2018, so there’s not as much to see there compared to the other house. Still worth a look while you’re there though!
• The museum has a variety of paintings, furniture, and sculptures in their permanent collection. Still, if you want even more of the arts try the photo museum FOMU or Rubens House for another dose of the classics