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Video: Trey Burns, Dallas Museum of Art
Organized by the Denver Art Museum in collaboration with The Phoebus Foundation, Saints and Sinners explores the artistic styles and subjects that flourished between the 1400s and 1600s in Flanders—better known today as the Southern Netherlands. Flanders was home to revolutionary artists, including Hans Memling, Jan Gossaert, Peter Paul Rubens, Jacob Jordaens, and Anthony van Dyck, who found new ways to depict reality, portray humanity, and tell stories that continue to resonate with viewers today. Featuring roughly 130 extraordinary works of art in a variety of media, from paintings to manuscripts, this exhibition presents objects that open a doorway into the past, telling the story of enterprising townspeople, prosperous cities, and an ever-developing society. They also detail stories about dreams and ambitions, fears and desires, and what it means to be human.
Jan Massys, Riddle: The world feeds many fools, about 1530. Oil paint on panel; 20 1/4 × 24 7/16 x 1 5/8 in. © The Phoebus Foundation, Antwerp
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SAINT
SINNER
LOVER
FOOL
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Optimistic, timeless, flirtatious, and artistic are all words that the Lover’s peers might use to describe them! Whether it be through music, poetry, or painting, the Lover’s mission is to contribute something beautiful to the world and help others see things through their well-worn rose-colored glasses. Dazzled by the more whimsical things in life, Lovers are natural daydreamers. Unfortunately, having your head in the clouds can too often lift your feet off the ground. The Lover’s tendency to see the best in people can leave them vulnerable to manipulation. Be sure to keep at least one foot on the ground but never stop dreaming!
THE LOVER
Saints, Sinners, Lovers, and Fools have been shaping culture, science, and politics throughout human history. Learn about these four distinct personalities below and take the quiz to find out which character best describes you!
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Enviable for their well-tuned moral compass and cool disposition, the Saint is patient, thoughtful, and composed. They are the peacekeeper and mediator of their friend group, often finding themselves at the center of conflict, but never as the one taking up arms. Always striving to make the world a better place, they relentlessly search for opportunities to improve themself and others. The Saint always does what they think is right, even if others disagree with their methods. This single-minded determination is a double-edged sword and can often alienate those who don’t see things from the Saint’s perspective. Saints, try setting down your gavel and listening to someone else’s point of view. You may just learn something new!
THE SAINT
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Passionate and inspired, cunning and daring, the Sinner spices up life with their ever-changing adventures. People are naturally attracted to the Sinner’s mysterious and blasé demeanor. The Sinner like to keep people on their toes, so it’s unlikely that you’ll know their next move until it is already in action! Sinners are hyper-independent and hold their cards close to their chests. This independence can sometimes come across as selfishness, but don’t let them convince you that they don’t care! At the end of the day, the Sinner’s lone-wolf act is a defense mechanism that leaves them feeling isolated. Sinners, take off your impenetrable mask and let someone else see the real you. Vulnerability can be the strongest weapon in your arsenal!
THE SINNER
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The Fool is eternally youthful, often naïve, and always has an open outlook on life! They step to the beat of their own drum, leading the march toward new beginnings and change. A champion of embracing all things that life throws at them—the good, the bad, and the ugly—the Fool is the friend who everyone flocks to when they need help dusting off and getting back on their feet. Unfortunately, the Fool’s perpetually sunny disposition and ability to laugh off the hard things also makes them a mark for people who will take advantage of the Fool’s eagerness to listen and care for them. If you’re a Fool, try letting someone else take center stage for a change. Even life’s biggest jesters deserve to sit back and enjoy the show!
THE FOOL
A sneak peek at all of the Saints, Sinners, Lovers & Fools mementos & gifts you can take home after your visit.
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Hear Dr. Katharina Van Cauteren, Chief of Staff of The Phoebus Foundation and organizing curator for the exhibition, discuss the geography and history of Flanders, the themes of the exhibition, and The Phoebus Foundation.
© The Phoebus Foundation
Flanders, also known as the Southern Netherlands, was a geographic territory in Europe that consisted more or less of present-day Belgium and parts of northern France, Luxembourg, and Holland. Home to Europe’s intellectual and business elite, cities such as Bruges, Ghent, and Antwerp were the New York, Hong Kong, and Silicon Valley of the medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque periods. The visual arts thrived in this dynamic and flourishing environment, resulting in new artistic genres and styles and a fresh approach toward images.
Joris Hoefnagel, Antverpia, View of the City of Antwerp, about 1580. Colored engraving; 20 3/8 × 32 3/4 in. © The Phoebus Foundation, Antwerp
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Saints and Sinners traces important connections between art production in Flanders and changes in the societal and cultural climate over the course of 300 years in six thematic, roughly chronological sections.
Video: Trey Burns, Dallas Museum of Art
Three kings journey from the East, following a guiding star, to bear gifts to the infant Jesus Christ. The biblical story of the three magi (or kings) is scant on details, but medieval Europeans numbered and named them, calling one Balthazar. Traditionally shown as white, by the late 1400s Balthazar began to be depicted as a young Black African ruler bearing the gift of myrrh, a rare tree resin used for incense, perfume, and medicine. Around this time, the Portuguese began trading in slaves and goods from Benin in north Africa, and they chose Antwerp as their principal port. Although foreign visitors could hold Black African slaves, slavery was outlawed in Antwerp. The free Black population was small, and often Flemish artists used the same Black models for their work.
Master of Frankfurt and Workshop, The Adoration of the Magi with Emperor Frederick III and Emperor Maximilian, about 1510–20. Oil paint on panel; 56 1/8 × 78 3/8 in. © The Phoebus Foundation, Antwerp
Catarina Ykens II, Vanitas Bust of a Lady, 1688. Oil paint on panel; 12 9/16 × 12 3/8 × 1 5/8 in. © The Phoebus Foundation, Antwerp