The Groeningemuseum was linked from the beginning to the Academy of Bruges, founded in 1717. According to the statutes of the institution, every draftsman had to donate one of his works. Thus the Academy's collection grew over time. To this were added the donations of John Steinmetz in 1863, Auguste Beernaert in 1913 and Eduard Houtart in 1926. Among the works from Castile and Leon that the museum houses, St. John the Baptist with a donor from the Maestro de Portillo stands out.