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"Bruges, Belgium" PaintingBruges, Belgium is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. Located in the northwest of Belgium, historic Bruges traces its foundingin the 9th century by Vikings, who first settled there. Because of the proximity of the North Sea, the settlement very quickly became an important international harbor.
In the 12th century a first protective wall was built around Bruges. The city was encircled by a series of canals and is sometimes referred to as m@The Venice of the North@. By the 13th century Bruges was an important international trading center. Traders then came from all over the world to sell their products to each other andbut the internationally acclaimed textile product, Flemish cloth.
In the 14th century Bruges turned also into an international financial and trading center and was considered the Achief commercial city@ of the world. Splendid late- gothic buildings and churches were constructed throughout the canaled city. At that time, the Flemish painting school, notably the brothers Van Eyck and Hans Memling started to flourish as never before.
Bruges then fell into a period of decline thereafter because of the silting up of the river and loss of its harbor access port. The city was rediscovered by the international tourism and its medieval heritage as the 20th century brought new life to Bruges.
This artist visited the city of Bruges on two trips to Brussels, Belgium and was totally taken by the beauty of its canals and medieval architecture. This painting depicts this visual feeling and captures a scene of the rich heritage of Bruges, Belgium.