History, content and structure
The Rubenianum has in its care the art-historical documentation of Marguerite Casteels, which was donated after her death. Casteels was a Brussels art historian who specialized in Flemish sculpture from the Renaissance and Baroque periods. From the year 1963 she was successively research staff member and librarian at the Gaasbeek Castle.
The documentation consists of text volumes accompanied by an extensive series of photograph albums. It is, almost completely, classified by the artist's name. Apart from a treasure-trove of pictorial documentation (more than 2000 photographs), the archive also contains numerous transcribed archival documents dating from the 16th century onward.
Casteels also bequeathed a modest collection of books, which was incorporated in the library of the Rubenianum.
Consulting this source
The collection is completely inventoried and searchable in our archival database. A very detailed inventory (in Excel) of the photographic documentation is also available.
The material can be consulted in our reading room after a request through our collection catalogue.