Bonnefantenmuseum
Bonnefantenmuseum
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Bonnefantenmuseum

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Bonnefantenmuseum

The Bonnefanten Museum is a museum of historic, modern and contemporary art in Maastricht, Netherlands.

The museum was founded in 1884 as the historical and archaeological museum for the Dutch province of Limburg. The name Bonnefanten Museum is derived from the French 'bons enfants' ('good children'), the popular name of a former convent that housed the museum from 1951 until 1978.

In 1995, the museum moved to its present location, a former industrial site named 'Céramique'. The new building was designed by Italian architect Aldo Rossi. With its rocket-shaped cupola overlooking the river Maas, it is one of Maastricht's most prominent modern buildings.

Since 1999, the museum has become exclusively an art museum. The historical and archaeological collections were housed elsewhere, partially at the Limburg Museum in Venlo. The museum is largely funded by the province of Limburg.

In 2009, the museum celebrated its 125th anniversary with the exhibition Exile on Main Street, celebrating modern and contemporary American art. Stijn Huijts has been director since 2012.

The combination of historic art and contemporary art under one roof gives the Bonnefanten Museum a distinctive character. The department of old masters is located on the first floor and displays highlights of early Italian, Flemish and Dutch painting. Exhibited on the same floor is the museum's extensive collection of medieval sculpture. The contemporary art collection is usually exhibited on the second floor and focuses on American Minimalism, Italian Arte Povera and Concept Art. The second and third floors are also used for temporary exhibitions.

The collection of historic paintings and sculptures of the Bonnefanten Museum consists of four main sections:

Since Alexander van Grevenstein became director in 1986, the Bonnefanten Museum has focused mainly on contemporary art. The main focus of the permanent collection is on:

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