The King Baudouin Foundation’s collection of several thousand works is usually to be seen in twenty-five different museums across the country. The exhibition ‘Celebration tables’ puts some of the works back in their historical context.

Moving from table to table, you will discover some of the most eloquent works from our collection: silver table centrepieces, commemorative works, historic documents and other precious objects and collections that set the scene.

Four historic dinners are evoked:

• the dinner table set to celebrate the wedding of Princess Louise in the Royal Palace in 1875
• the Art-Nouveau style celebratory dinner given in honour of Edmond van Eetvelde, Secretary General of the Independent State of Congo, in Tervuren in 1897
• the legendary Art Deco table created by Philippe Wolfers for the International Exhibition of Decorative and Modern Industrial Arts, which took place in Paris in 1925
• and the exclusive VIP dinners organized by the Commissaire Général of Expo 58.

Over a period spanning more than 80 years, from the wedding dinner of Princess Louise to the numerous culinary feasts of Expo 58, the art of the table and cuisine changed considerably. What were the ‘musts’ of such prestigious dinners? How, over the years, did such dinners move from splendour to elegance? What place was given to different tastes and the balance of savoury and sweet dishes in the menu? This exhibition and publication will help you to find out more about the particularities and changes in table settings of the period.

'Celebration tables'
From 23/06/2012 to 09/09/2012
From 10.00am to 17.00pm
BELvue Museum, Place des Palais 7, 1000 Brussels
Free entrance

This exhibition has been organized in collaboration with the History and History of Art and Archaeology Departments of the VUB, the Royal Museum of Art and History of Brussels and the Sterckshof Silver Museum Province of Antwerp.