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.

“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 seven sections and features some 150 works, including monumental paintings, sculptures, books, silverwork and maps. It begins with religious art 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.

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.

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.

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.