Gruuthuse In Galant Gezelschap

Bird motif from a Belouch

tribal rug.

Part of one of the huge beer tents

on the Burg.

Last Saturday I was busy all day with two visitors, a friend from Canada and his partner from Kent. Unbelievably they came over to Brugge to see me on a Day Trip by ferry and car. Noble effort in my opinion! But we did have a lovely time, the highlights of which were Breakfast at Blackbird [in Jan Van Eyckplein, nearby]; a visit to the Saturday market as it was finishing, on the Beursplein, temporarily moved because of the huge, and lengthy renovation of ‘t Zand, after which we wandered into Van Muylle’s wonderful tribal rug and carpet shop because of Alan’s vague intention to replace his main rug at home in Vancouver though measurements had he none! This emporium is one of my favourite haunts in Brugge and I was not disappointed by the offerings on display, fortuitously at the end of a month-long sale. After coffee on the house and lengthy deliberations, Alan didn’t buy because of the measurement problem but the one he loved, a rich blue-bordered interpretation of a traditional Turkmenistan tribal rug, was not only beautiful but also half price. Almost irresistible.

After that, to the Burg to one of the two main sites for the weekend’s Brugge Beer Festival where huge crowds of mainly happy, talkative men filled both enormous marquees on the Burg and on the

Lion guarding one half of the many superb fireplaces

in the Gruuthuse Museum.

Markt. As we declined to join the long, long queue for tokens without which beer purchase was impossible and in a nod to my need to sit down and relax, we wandered home for a tranquil seat and a free beer in peace. Mussels at de Schilder in Jan Van Eyckplein completed the day in time for them to dash off to Dunkirk while I retreated to my sanctuary thinking back on the treasures available to visitors to [and residents in] Brugge!

Sunday I managed to remember the open weekend for the Gruuthuse Museum, closed these several years for extensive renovation. The public was allowed in to see the renovations so far and to follow a route through the Gruuthuse to look at the progress made while the nearby Arentshuis museum hosted a small exhibition of mainly 18th  and 19th century Gruuthuse treasures called Gruuthuse in Chivalrous Company. It was delightful but even more so was the sight of a lovely book on Frank Brangwyn, the English artist born in Brugge who left a large body of his work to the city. The Arentshuis is a temple to Brangwyn. I discovered the book, Brangwyn at War was for sale in the Museum shop opposite and bought it, since when I dip into it when I can. A marvellous and informative read.

One of Brangwyn's works from 

Brangwyn at War by Libby Horner [2014]

Frank Brangwyn

Frank Brangwyn was born in Brugge in May 1867 where his father was working on several architectural projects in the city and where he had recently opened an embroidery atelier producing ecclesiastical vestments. Eventually, in 1874, the family moved back to Britain and Frank, with no formal academic or art training, first impressed William Morris with his draughtsman skills and originally made his name as a water colourist, becoming eventually a master of a considerable diversity of artistic skills; etching, wood engraving, lithography, book and poster design, architecture, interior design, glassware and ceramics. He was inspired by Art Nouveau though perhaps more so by the Arts and Crafts movement and Impressionism.
This immensely productive and talented artist had become one of Britain’s most renowned artists by the turn of the 20th century with an international following, becoming, in effect, a polymath, a quintessential artist-craftsman. But, compared say, to William Morris, Brangwyn's name is not widely remembered now.