At home in a museum. The story of Henriëtte and Fritz Mayer van den Bergh describes the extraordinary story behind the origins of our museum. It also pays tribute to Henriëtte Mayer van den Bergh (1838−1920) and Fritz Mayer van den Bergh (1858−1901). Fritz amassed the entire collection. After his untimely and unexpected death, his mother Henriëtte had the building erected as a repository for his artworks.
Mother and son
‘At home in a museum’ is the first publication to highlight the crucial role that Henriëtte van den Bergh played. Readers gain an insight into the family background of a mother and her son and their international network, their passions, and their modus operandi.
‘Rather than becoming my property, the art objects that my son collected, which he left to me, have been given to me for safekeeping.’ Henriëtte Mayer van den Bergh
About the author
Ulrike Müller is an art historian specialising in the history of collections and museums in Belgium. She obtained her PhD in 2019 with a thesis on private collectors of art and antiques and their role in public cultural life in Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent during the long 19th century (c. 1780−1914). She is currently employed as a researcher in the Museum Mayer van den Bergh. She is also a postdoctoral researcher with the Centre for Urban History at the University of Antwerp.
Information
‘At home in a museum. The story of Henriëtte and Fritz Mayer van den Bergh’
- 39.95 euros
- Published in Dutch and English
- Available for purchase in the museum shop or online at www.hannibalbooks.be (international shipping available)
- With the much-appreciated support of the Museum’s Regents.
