Since the Middle Ages, art and devotion have formed a universal message in the Christian world.  The distinctive manner in which holy figures are depicted render these characters and their stories recognisable. Through the attributes, clothing, objects, poses and animals accompanying these divine portraits, a vocabulary developed. In a Europe fragmented by various religious currents and social and intellectual disparities, this language brought people together.  The number of images may have been few and far between, but they were all understood.
Faced with a declining knowledge of sacred texts, this form of visual communication may now require some explanation. Although their true essence is less well understood, the arts nevertheless continue to attract keen interest. This exhibition offers the chance to discover Saint Christopher, Saint Jerome, Saint Barbara and Saint Mary Magdalene by observing, comparing and associating symbols.
It also provides an opportunity to see that, even in Flemish painting, it is not only the saintly figure who has a voice. The clothing, the landscape, the elements, the light and the textures chosen by our artists also convey meaning: that of a beauty, which is all the more necessary today.

Geneva
Opening 5 November from 4 PM
Special opening 7 November from 11 AM to 5 PM
Until 19 December