Snijders&Rockox House

Snijders&Rockox House is a museum in Antwerp, Belgium, set inside two neighbouring townhouses that once belonged to two very different but closely linked figures of the city's Golden Age: the painter Frans Snyders (1579–1657) and the mayor Nicolaas Rockox (1560–1640). Bringing these two historic residences together under one roof makes the museum a rare surviving example of period residential architecture that is now open to the public as an exhibition space.

Who lived in these houses?

One of the two houses belonged to Frans Snyders, a painter active in 17th-century Antwerp and part of the city's thriving artistic circle at the time. The other belonged to Nicolaas Rockox, who served as mayor of Antwerp — a figure who combined civic authority with a strong presence in the city's cultural life. The fact that a painter's home and a politician-patron's home stood side by side, and today form a single institution, says a lot about how closely art and public life were intertwined in Antwerp during that period.

What can visitors see inside?

Snijders&Rockox House houses a collection of 16th- and 17th-century Flemish art. This was the era when Antwerp stood out as one of the major centres of painting in Northern Europe, and the museum's buildings — genuine bourgeois interiors from that period — provide a fitting backdrop for the works on display. Visitors can experience the collection surrounded by architecture and interiors that are themselves a record of Antwerp's history from several centuries ago.

Who runs the museum?

The institution is owned by KBC Bank, a Belgian financial group that oversees the collection and keeps it open to the public. A financial institution acting as custodian of an art museum is not unusual in Belgium, and this kind of arrangement allows for stable, long-term upkeep of cultural heritage sites of this type.

Where is the museum located?

Snijders&Rockox House sits in the centre of Antwerp, Belgium, close to other historic landmarks in the city. Its geographic coordinates are approximately 51.22°N latitude and 4.41°E longitude, placing it right in the heart of the old town.

Frequently asked questions

What is Snijders&Rockox House? It is a museum in Antwerp housed in two connected townhouses, the former homes of painter Frans Snyders and mayor Nicolaas Rockox.

What kind of collection is on display? The museum shows works of Flemish art from the 16th and 17th centuries.

Who owns the museum? The museum is owned by KBC Bank.

Who were the original residents of the houses? Frans Snyders, a painter who lived from 1579 to 1657, and Nicolaas Rockox, mayor of Antwerp from 1560 to 1640.

Where exactly is the museum located? In the centre of Antwerp, Belgium.