The Curaçao Museaum

Curaçao Museum was founded by dr. Christiaan J.H Engels and his father in law Rudolph Boskaljon back in 1946. Making it the oldest museum on the island. The goal of the museum was to give visitors a view of the opulent past of the island’s richest days and at the same time exhibit world-class local and international art. Nowadays the museum focuses on the Western influences on the Curaçaoan culture, especially in the visual arts, which confirms her pluriform and multicultural background. The museum is located at the former military hospital for yellow fever patients, built in 1853 by the Dutch Military.

 

The collection on display exists of paintings, etches, drawings, statues, furniture, glass and textile, made by local and international artists.

The museum’s furniture is breathtaking, with many pieces hand-carved from mahogany, including the island’s oldest dining-room table, a phonograph and a grand master bed. But even better is the artwork. The rich collection paintings exist of work of national and international artist, including Hipolito Ocalia, Carel Willink , José Maria Capricorne, Jan Sluijters, Luigi Pinedo, Charley Toorop, Isaac Israëls, Edgar Fernhout, Jean Girigorie, Corneille, Han van Meegeren and  Enrique Olario.

Also noteworthy is wall-sized map of the Caribbean, made of stained glass and created by W. Bogtman for the 1939 World Exhibition in New York.