The Monuments Men

• The Monuments Men
• Madonna and Child
• Release movie

The Monuments Men

In 'The Monuments Men', George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett, Jean Dujardin and John Goodman search for masterpieces stolen by the Nazis during WWII. Together they start the greatest treasure hunt of the twentieth century. The film had its European premiere at the 64th Berlin International Film Festival (06.02.2014).

The film is based on a true story. The MFAA - the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives section - was founded by President F.D. Roosevelt. It became known by the nickname 'The monuments men'. Many of the men were museum directors, curators, art historians, architects and artists. Thanks to them, several art treasures were saved from the devastating war.

The movie of the same name is a recognition of the special cultural value of the old continent. Remarkably, this value is mainly inspired by two European cities and their artworks: Gent with 'the Mystic Lamb’ by Jan Van Eyck and Bruges with ‘Madonna and Child’ by Michelangelo.

Madonna and Child

The ‘Madonna and Child’ was carved in Italy by Michelangelo Buonarotti (° Caprese, 1475 - † Rome, 1564) around 1503. The Bruges merchant Alexander Mouscron, who was in Florence at the time, bought the sculpture and donated it in 1514 to the Church of Our Lady in Bruges. It is the only sculpture by Michelangelo that left Italy during his lifetime.
All this time the sculpture was in Bruges until it was stolen for the first time by the French occupier in 1794. On January 3, 1816, after the defeat of Napoleon, the sculpture returned.

WWII

In the night of September 6-7, 1944, just a few days before the Liberation, the sculpture was removed for the second time, now by the German occupier, who wanted to avoid that the marble statue and some paintings which they also removed would fall in the hands of ‘American Jews' - or so they said. The artworks were brought to Austria by ship across the Netherlands and Germany, where they finally ended up in the salt mine of Altaussee. In 1945, the ‘Monuments Men’ managed to avoid the destruction of the works.  

Back in Bruges

On November 12, 1945, the sculpture of the ‘Madonna and Child’ was brought back to the city solemnly and returned to its place in the Church of Our Lady, where it still stands today.

Release movie

07/02/2014 - United States
13/02/2014 - Italy
13/02/2014 - The Netherlands
14/02/2014 - United Kingdom
20/02/2014 - Germany
21/02/2014 - Spain
21/02/2014 - India
12/03/2014 - Belgium
12/03/2014 - France