Leuven (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Leuven City Hall houses over 800 sculptures and historic paintings. Hannah De Moor oversees moving and restoration. Artworks, including Scenes of Justice, will return after the 2029 reopening for public display.
As VRT News reported, Leuven City Hall is moving its historic paintings and more than 800 sculptures with care for restoration. The works being transported include the ground-floor ceiling painting, portraits of the 7 Families of Leuven, and allegorical figures like Justitia.
Officials mentioned that the collection also features Scenes of Justice, a 19th-century copy of the famous painting by Flemish master Dieric Bouts. Each piece is carefully packed to prevent damage during the move.
“We’re also busy dismantling the paintings,” De Moor explains. “Because many of the works are so large, we have to roll them up to fit through the doors and save space during storage.”
“We even made a hole in the top floor of the attic.”
Hannah De Moor, M. Museum
What’s happening to Leuven City Hall’s 800+ sculptures and paintings?
Moving the statues is a complex task because of their size and fragility.
“We inventoried, registered, cleaned up, measured, and photographed all the pieces,”
says De Moor.
“We even made a hole in the top floor of the attic. The statues are hoisted through that to the third floor and then taken by elevator to floor zero, where they’re transported by truck to an external warehouse.”
Every sculpture is handled carefully to ensure it stays intact. After the restoration is completed, all paintings and statues will return to their original places in City Hall.
“These sculptures are now going to the external city warehouse and will return later when City Hall reopens,”
says De Moor.
“The intention is certainly for Leuven residents and visitors to be able to view the sculptures in the sculpture loft. The paintings will also all undergo conservation and restoration treatment and will then be on display again.”
The renovated town hall is scheduled to reopen in 2029. Residents and visitors will then see a space that reflects Leuven’s history and its connection to the present and future.
The City Hall of Leuven was constructed from 1439 to 1469. Since then, it has represented both the pride and prosperity of the City of Leuven. In addition to the original decoration of the building, including numerous statues, there has been a history of continued decoration throughout the centuries through paintings as well as different types of decorations for the building’s exterior.
As well as originally being decorated with many statues from the 15th Century on the original façade, the renovation of the City Hall has taken place several times since its construction. The latest renovation was planned in 2024.
