Six Centuries of European Art: Treasures of the Kunstmuseum Bern Collection
Hidden within the walls of the Kunstmuseum Bern lies a treasure trove of early art—a collection that whispers tales of faith, moral virtue, and timeless myths across six centuries. From 13 February to 27 September 2026, the museum invites visitors to immerse in Life in Full. With around 70 paintings and select works on parchment of old masters from Duccio to Liotard, the exhibition presents an impressive picture of the rich imagery that shaped European cultural identity over the centuries between the late Middle Ages and the Baroque period.
The exhibition, curated by Anne-Christine Strobel, encompasses works from the 13th to the 18th century, starting with Duccio di Buoninsegna’s Maestà, the oldest painting in the museum’s collection, the work as precious as it is famous. Its presence sets the tone for an odyssey through time. Alongside this cornerstone are works from Florentine and Sienese masters of the Trecento and Quattrocento, including pieces by Bernardo Daddi, Fra Angelico and from the workshop of Sandro Botticelli. These paintings, part of Adolf von Stürler’s estate, which bequeathed some 170 works to the museum in 1902, are without parallel in Switzerland and rank among the most valuable in the collection.
In the main gallery, the spotlight falls on Niklaus Manuel—a man of many facets: painter, poet, graphic artist, reformer, mercenary, and alderman of Bern. His skillful altarpieces, rich in detail and narrative depth, stand alongside the elaborate works off the Bern Carnation Masters, active between 1480 and 1510. These altarpieces present extravagant scenes from the lives of saints, inviting contemplation and reflection.
As the narrative moves into the Baroque era, the exhibition captures the spirit of Bern as a powerful city‑state, where economic prosperity nurtured a material culture of luxury. Still lifes, brimming with the rich harvests of rural estates, contrast with elegant portraits that reflect the bourgeois splendour of the time. Artists such as Joseph Heintz, Johannes Dünz, Albrecht Kauw and Jean‑Etienne Liotard showcase this world of earthly goods and refined taste.
Yet amidst this display of wealth, the exhibition also turns to the pursuit of virtue. Joseph Werner’s allegorical representations of virtue, justice, and healing offer a counterpoint, while the Bern Tablet of Cebes by Joseph Plepp, a monumental painting over three metres wide and teeming with around 200 figures, charts the vicissitudes of humankind on their path to salvation.
A small but exquisite cabinet shifts the focus to mythology, offering a counterpoint to the biblical narratives. Here, depictions of Greek gods and nymphs by Bernese, French and Dutch artists span from the 16th to the 18th century. Among these, miniatures by Joseph Werner take centre stage, delicate works on parchment rarely displayed because of their sensitivity to light.
Life in Full brings together themes that seem to oppose each other: material things and spiritual ones, the splendour of luxury against the quiet strength of simple living. It’s an invitation to wander through time, to pause before each frame, and to listen as the past speaks in full voice.
Dates: 13 February — 27 September 2026 Place: Kunstmuseum Bern, Holderstrasse 8–12, 3011 Bern