Frans Snyders (1579-1657), A Pantry with Game, about 1640. © The Phoebus Foundation, Antwerp, Belgium

Montreal – The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) is presenting the Canadian premiere of Saints, Sinners, Lovers and Fools: Three Hundred Years of Flemish Masterworks, a major exhibition that showcases The Phoebus Foundation’s world-class collection of Flemish art. Couched in timeless themes, the show transports audiences to the Southern Netherlands during a dynamic period of social, scientific, economic and artistic development (1400-1700). Saints, Sinners, Lovers and Fools is organized by the Denver Art Museum and The Phoebus Foundation of Antwerp, Belgium, and presents masterworks by celebrated artists of the day, including Hans Memling, Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony van Dyck, Jacob Jordaens and Michaelina Wautier, among many others. The Montreal presentation is complemented by selections from the MMFA’s renowned collection of Flemish art.

“The MMFA is honoured to be the first Canadian Museum to present the exceptional collection of Flemish masterworks from The Phoebus Foundation. The first major exhibition that the Museum has devoted to Flemish painting in 10 years, Saints, Sinners, Lovers and Fools brings together some 150 works, including several from the MMFA’s own remarkable collection. These works inspire reflection on the human condition and demonstrate the profound relevance of the past to our present,” says Stéphane Aquin, Director of the MMFA.

“We are excited for the next chapter of our Flemish masterpieces at the MMFA. This captivating exhibition is a rollercoaster ride through a rebellious 300 years of Flemish history, guaranteed to captivate a new wave of art enthusiasts!” adds Katharina Van Cauteren, Chief of Staff of The Phoebus Foundation Chancellery.

“Presented first in Denver and then in Dallas, this show offers deeper insight into the different areas of Flemish art and deals with universal timeless themes. Flanders, this small but mighty society, was seeking to establish itself in a fast-changing, increasingly globalized world. Art played a crucial role in this, and it’s fascinating to see that the legacy of this period persists today,” says Chloé M. Pelletier, Curator of European Art (before 1800) at the MMFA.

The exhibition is laid out in six sections and features some 150 works, including monumental paintings, sculptures, books, silverwork and maps. It begins with religious art and portraits of the 15th and early 16th century. In looking closely at these works packed with symbolism and delightful details, such as Hans Memling’s The Nativity, or Triptych with the Adoration of the Magi by Pieter Coecke van Aelst the Elder, the public will appreciate how Flemish citizens used images to interact with higher powers, build community and secure their legacy

Hans Memling and Workshop (1433-1494), The Nativity, about 1480. © The Phoebus Foundation, Antwerp, Belgium

 Pieter Coecke van Aelst the Elder (1502-1550), Triptych with the Adoration of the Magi, about 1530–1540 . © The Phoebus Foundation, Antwerp, Belgium

Philippe de Mazerolles, Life and Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ (Gruuthuse manuscript), about 1460. © The Phoebus Foundation, Antwerp.

Jan Gossaert, The Virgin and Child, about 1520. © The Phoebus Foundation, Antwerp.

Adriaen Isenbrandt (?-1551), The Adoration of the Magi, 1520s. MMFA, gift of Mr. and Mrs. Michal Hornstein. Photo MMFA, Jean-François Brière

Andreas Vesalius, De humani corporis fabrica libri septem (On the Fabric of the Human Body in Seven Books) (detail), 1543. © The Phoebus Foundation, Antwerp.

Follower of Hieronymus Bosch, Hell, about 1540-50. © The Phoebus Foundation, Antwerp.

The next section is dedicated to portraits that celebrate the wealth and status of individuals and, by the same token, mark the dawn of the art patron. Among the works displayed are notably Portrait of Archduke Albert of Austria by Peter Paul Rubens, the Double Portrait of Husband and Wife Playing Tables by Jan Sanders van Hemessen, and a work by his daughter, Catharina van Hemessen, titled Portrait of a Lady. Following this section is a group of paintings depicting fools and foolish behaviour that showcases how artists used humour to both moralize and entertain.

Jan Sanders van Hemessen, Double Portrait of Husband and Wife Playing Tables, 1532. © The Phoebus Foundation, Antwerp, Belgium

Anthony van Dyck (1599-1641), Portrait of Willem II van Oranje-Nassau (1626-1650) as a child, about 1631 © The Phoebus Foundation, Antwerp, Belgium

Jan van Scorel, Portrait of Joost Aemsz. van der Burch, about 1530-41. © The Phoebus Foundation, Antwerp, Belgium

Jan Sanders van Hemessen (about 1500-1556/1557), Portrait of Elisabet, Court Fool of Anne of Hungary, about 1525. © The Phoebus Foundation, Antwerp, Belgium

Jan Massys (1509-1575), Riddle: The World Feeds Many Fools, about 1530. © The Phoebus Foundation, Antwerp, Belgium

Moving into the 17th century, subsequent sections highlight Flanders’ significance as a cosmopolitan centre of commerce and innovation, both scientific and artistic. Navigation tools and maps join masterworks by Rubens and Van Dyck, international celebrities whose dramatic painterly styles spoke to the heightened emotions of a society plagued by war and political instability.

Abraham Ortelius, Theater of the World [World Atlas], 1575.  © The Phoebus Foundation, Antwerp.

Jan van der Straet, called Stradanus (1523-1605), Amerigo Vespucci Rediscovers America, from the series “Nova Reperta” [New Inventions of Modern Times], about 1590. © The Phoebus Foundation, Antwerp, Belgium

 Peter Paul Rubens and Workshop (1577-1640), Diana Hunting with Her Nymphs, about 1636–1637.  © The Phoebus Foundation, Antwerp, Belgium

Hendrick de Clerck (about 1560-1630), Denijs van Alsloot (about 1570 - about 1627), The Garden of Eden with the Four Elements, 1613. © The Phoebus Foundation, Antwerp, Belgium.

Anthony van Dyck (1599-1641), Mary, the Christ Child and Saint John, about 1627-1630 © The Phoebus Foundation, Antwerp, Belgium

Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640), A Sailor and a Woman Embracing, about 1614-1615 © The Phoebus Foundation, Antwerp, Belgium

Jacob Jordaens, Serenade, about 1640– 45. © The Phoebus Foundation, Antwerp.

Anthony van Dyck (1599-1641), Portrait of the Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia in the Habit of the Poor Clares, about 1635. © The Phoebus Foundation, Antwerp, Belgium

The exhibition ends in an immersive space inspired by art cabinets, elite collections of art found in the homes of the upper class during this era. Often depicted in period paintings, examples of which are on display, such spaces prefigure the modern museum and invite us to consider the range of desires – to connect, to marvel, to possess – that led to their inception.

Peeter Neefs II and Gillis van Tilborgh, Portrait of an Elegant Couple in an Art Cabinet, 1652 and about 1675. © The Phoebus Foundation, Antwerp.

Hans Jamnitzer (1538-1603), after a design by Giorgio Ghisi (1520-1582) and Luca Penni (1500/1504-1556), Apollo and the Muses, about 1570-1580. © The Phoebus Foundation, Antwerp, Belgium

Catarina Ykens II (1659-1737), Vanitas Bust of a Lady, 1688. © The Phoebus Foundation, Antwerp, Belgium

Daniel Seghers, Roses, Tulips, and Narcissi in a Glass Vase, about 1630-40. © The Phoebus Foundation, Antwerp, Belgium

An exhibition co-organized by the Denver Art Museum and The Phoebus Foundation, Antwerp, Belgium, in collaboration with the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. The exhibition is curated by Katharina Van Cauteren, Chief of Staff of The Phoebus Foundation Chancellery. The Montreal presentation is curated by Chloé M. Pelletier, Curator of European Art (before 1800) at the MMFA.

The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts - June 8 – October 20, 2024

Jan Cossiers (1600-1671), A Young Man Lighting His Pipe (Allegory of Smell), about 1650 © The Phoebus Foundation, Antwerp, Belgium

 Jan Cossiers, Self-portrait, about 1620-1627. © The Phoebus Foundation, Antwerp, Belgium

Michaelina Wautier (1604-1689), Everyone to His Taste, about 1650 © The Phoebus Foundation, Antwerp, Belgium

Lucas van Valckenborch (1535-1597), A Meat and Fish Market (Winter), about 1595. MMFA, purchase, special acquisition fund for non-Canadian art and John W. Tempest Fund. Photo MMFA, Jean-François Brière

Jan Brueghel the Elder (1568-1625), A Paradise Landscape with Animals and Birds in a Wooded Glade by a Pond, 1617 (or 1615), oil on copper. MMFA, gift of Mr. and Mrs. Michal Hornstein. Photo MMFA, Jean-François Brière