Royal Academy of Fine Arts

The Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp was founded on the model of the academy in Paris and is the fourth oldest art academy in Europe. The initiative for the founding was taken at a time when Antwerp was doing badly on several levels. Many established artists had died in the meantime, and others left for Paris. By offering basic drawing training, the founders of the Royal Academy hoped to restore the glory of Antwerp art. Today, the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Antwerp offers bachelor's and master's degrees in the visual arts. Over the years, various artists and art lovers donated works that could be used as pieces of leather, but also as decoration. This eventually led to the foundation of the Museum of the Academy (today the Royal Museum of Fine Arts), which can be visited in Antwerp.