Emile Van Dorenmuseum

The Emile Van Dorenmuseum is a small but richly atmospheric museum in Genk, in the Belgian province of Limburg. It occupies villa Le Coin Perdu, the former home and studio of landscape painter Emile Van Doren, preserved today with its original interior largely intact.

Who was Emile Van Doren?

Emile Van Doren (1865–1949) was born in Brussels, but it was Genk and the surrounding Kempen landscape that became his true source of inspiration. He arrived in the town around 1890, drawn by its picturesque, still largely rural scenery, which attracted artists from across Belgium. Together with his wife, Cidonie Raikem, he ran the Hôtel des Artistes in the center of Genk for many years, a gathering place for painters visiting the region.

Why is villa Le Coin Perdu special?

In 1913 the couple built their dream home on what was then Verloren Kostweg, today's Henri Decleenestraat, just outside the town center. The English cottage-style villa, whose design is attributed to architect Adrien Blomme, was built overlooking the tranquil Molenvijvers ponds. Van Doren lived and worked in this house until his death in 1949.

How did the house become a museum?

Following the death of the artist's only daughter, Fanny, in 1956, the villa and its complete furnishings were bequeathed to the city of Genk. The building was converted into a museum in the mid-1970s, and the Emile Van Dorenmuseum was officially inaugurated on September 22, 1976. Since then it has built up a collection of works by painters of the so-called Genk School — a group of more than 250 artists who visited the town between 1840 and 1950, captivated by its landscape.

What can visitors see?

Visitors encounter paintings by Emile Van Doren and other landscape artists displayed within the villa's original historic rooms — furniture, everyday objects and family belongings largely unchanged since the house was a hub of artistic life. It offers a rare chance to see not only the art itself but the authentic setting in which it was created.

The museum is not simply an archive of the past, though. Villa Le Coin Perdu also functions as a living residency space, inviting contemporary artists to be inspired by Genk and its landscape today, much as Van Doren himself was more than a century ago.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the museum located? At Henri Decleenestraat 21 in Genk, in the province of Limburg, close to the town center and the Molenvijvers ponds.

What was Emile Van Doren known for? He was a landscape painter, one of the leading figures of the so-called Genk School, active in the late 19th and first half of the 20th century.

Since when has the museum existed? The villa became a museum in 1975–1976, with its official opening on September 22, 1976.

Has the building kept its original character? Yes — villa Le Coin Perdu is presented together with its original interior furnishings, making it as significant a historical document as the paintings it houses.