Virginal (muselar) by Joannes Couchet (1650)
Museum Vleeshuis preserves 12 harpsichords and virginals from the 17th and 18th centuries "fecit Antverpiae," made in Antwerp.
At the time, harpsichord makers in Antwerp were among the most famous instrument makers in the world, and Joannes Couchet (1615-1655) was one of the leading makers.
In this tour
You will get a closer look at one of Couchet's five surviving instruments.
Andreas Ruckers harpsichord (1646)
In 1976, Museum Vleeshuis acquired a single-manual harpsichord made by Andreas Ruckers exactly 330 years earlier.
The instrument was comprehensively modified (enlarged) in the 18th century, and completely restored between 1962 and 1964. Despite its age and the modifications it has undergone, the harpsichord retained many characteristics typical of the famous Antwerp school of harpsichord-making.
In this tour
You will discover Andreas Ruckers' harpsichord from 1646 up close, and get a good idea of the Antwerp school of harpsichord-making.
Tip
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