Luxembourg's 18th Century Painters Unveiled in Immersive Exhibition

Luxembourg's National Museum of Archeology, History and Art (Musée National d'Archéologie, d’Histoire et d'Art - MNAHA) located at the Fëschmaart, in the heart of the historical city centre, has announced that it is hosting a temporary exhibition dedicated to the lives and works of 18th century painters from Luxembourg.

The new, immersive exhibition will offer a glimpse into a little-known chapter of the country’s art history, focusing on the lived reality of artists in the 1700s and the paintings they produced, from altarpieces and other religious works through to portraits and still lifes.

All the artworks will be hung on a single wall, as a nod to the era, transforming the exhibition space into an 18th century salon. As visitors admire the paintings, the room changes around them, projecting a wide range of videos onto the wall, which immerses the viewer in the stories behind the paintings and their creators. From the price of paintings through to the trends of the day, the show aims to provide insights into the art scene of the 18th century.

Drawing on extensive research by Henri Carême, who defended his thesis on this very subject earlier this year at UCLouvain, the exhibition brings to light previously unknown details of artists’ day-to-day life in Luxembourg with source material from all over the country. The accompanying publication provides the first comprehensive overview of the subject, featuring new discoveries and in-depth analysis of archival material.

The curatorial team is composed of Henri Carême, Lis Hausemer, Michel Polfer, Ruud Priem and Muriel Prieur.

The temporary exhibition will be on show at the Nationalmusée um Fëschmaart from Friday 28 July 2023 to Sunday 28 January 2024. Opening hours: closed on Monday, Thursday from 10:00 to 20:00 and Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and weekends from 10:00 to 18:00.

Further details are available on the MNAHA website at: https://collections.mnaha.lu/index/.