Taking a snapshot approach to art appreciation, the Musee national d’histoire et d’art (MNHA) introduces “Renc’Art", a chance to explore a particular work every month, within 20 minutes.
Beyond giving a detailed analysis of the art in question, this spotlight aims at engendering a new look on the national collections and, thereby, to stimulate appreciation.
Visitors can enjoy these insights for free eight times a month, on Tuesdays at 12:30 and Thursdays at 19:00, when each week the selected work is explained in one of the following four languages: French, German, English and Portuguese.
Under the spotlight this month: "Table d'une changerur”, which the MNHA describes thus:
“In the corner of a counter, an elderly man wearing a red headdress sits behind a wooden table covered with a green cloth. He looks concentrated and writes figures in a book of account, while counting with his left hand the coins of gold and silver.
This genre scene of the Flemish school enjoyed great popularity until the 17th century. Numerous versions exist, but the caricature of the scene is gradually becoming more pronounced, reflecting the moderate sympathy for this profession. Yet, the role of the money changer was essential in the medieval economic system in which many currencies rubbed shoulders. A primary work tool, this table is far from trivial and contains many secret mechanisms”.
This month’s RENC’ART in English will be on Tuesday 4 April and Thursday 6 April, at a 12:30 and 19:00 respectively.
