In Fine Detail

 Hope from The Virtues

I visited the Mayer van ben Bergh Museum a few weeks ago to see its collection and also a rare showing of prints by Pieter Bruegel. The exhibition was held in a dark room with each print lit from the back so that every detail could be seen. On view were prints made from sketchbook drawings of Italy, a series of views of peasant life, the Seven Deadly Sins, and the Seven Virtues. You can see many of the prints at the Metropolitan Museum of Art website and can even zoom-in to see all the details for yourself.

The Stone Operation

The Temptation of St. Anthony

The museum is the collection of Fritz Mayer van den Bergh (1858-1910), an avid art collector. His collection includes fine art and objects mostly from the Gothic and Renaissance eras. He chose works that were "important" but also chose things simply because he liked them. The collection has a very personal feel. One of my favorite sub-collections was the room of portraits, both of individuals and families. I have posted two images here. (Look at their sweet faces and those lace collars!) Finally, I was very happy to see a lovely collection of historical jewelry but, unfortunately, I could not take any photos. 

 Frans Vekemans by Cornelis De Vos, 1625 

 Elisabeth Vekemans by Cornelis de Vos, 1625

Thanks for reading.