Talking Pictures
1400–1800
_{Masterpieces from the National Museum of Luxembourg}

Masterpieces from the National Museum of Luxembourg

Thirty masterpieces from the National Museum of History and Art, Luxembourg (MNAHA) engage in a dialogue with 19 highlights from the Collection Rau for UNICEF. They are on display in such abundance for the first time outside of our European neighbor. Through stunning imagery, they tell stories and recount history from antiquity to the Baroque era.

Almost like a film, the life of Christ unfolds before us in vivid narratives scenes—in medieval manuscript miniatures, on precious ivory panels, and on grand altars. With the rise of Humanism and the Counter-Reformation, the narrative intensifies to focus on the decisive moment: the facial expressions and gestures of the figures speak directly to our emotions, evoking compassion, sorrow, or ecstatic joy,  as exemplified by the exhibition’s title image“Bacchus, Venus, and Cupid” by Rosso Fiorentino. In the dramatic light of Baroque painting, gods, heroes, and saints take on a monumental presence. From Troy to Judea to Mount Olympus, a polyphonic procession of images unfolds—full of passion, pleasure, and suffering. From the second half of the 17th century onward, the focus shifts: historical subjects recede, while landscapes and scenes of everyday life gain prominence. Nature emerges as a powerful presence, while genre painting turns its attention to everyday life—at times serious, at times humorous.