St-John
The chapel St-John, Ghent in 1899
Our gallery is located in the 18th century chapel of Saint-John in the Oil. The building is designed in the typical Ghent baroque style and was completed in 1748. We can see its most notable features in the facade with impressive oak entrance door and the stucco decorations on the inside. In the 19th century it became the place of worship for the Anglican community in Ghent, who renamed the chapel 'St-John', hence the name of our gallery. The Anglican community moved in the 1970's and the building became derelict. Bought by our founder Leo Steel in 1980, this magnificent building was saved from ruin and became an art gallery and auction house. It has been one of the first examples in the country of re-using a vacant religious building for commercial purposes. Since 1980 up to the present day the building has undergone several restorations (small and large) and it is still in use as an art gallery.