The richly decorated staircase in the Neuchâtel Museum of Art and History (Musée d’art et d’histoire) is a total work of art that always exerts a special fascination. But what is the history behind it? Who were the visionary artists that created this extraordinary structure?
And what can we learn from each of the details in its monumental paintings and unique architecture?
Museum decided to install a multimedia terminal featuring new methods of visualisation to meet educational and scientific challenges. Details that were almost invisible can now be examined, and visitors are free to choose the information that matches their particular interests.
Visitors can explore the fine details of the three monumental paintings by Léo-Paul Robert (1851-1923): they depict the canton of Neuchâtel’s main regions and their specific activities.
At Neuchâtel: intellectual life, the glory of God and an ambience of the Last Judgement. At Val-de-Ruz: country life, the regeneration of nature spoiled by human activities, together with Peace and the Kingdom of God. And at La Chaux-de-Fonds: industrial life, resolution of the social conflict, and benevolence towards the human race in a pre-apocalyptic era.
The Art Nouveau decoration of the staircase and the stained-glass windows (Clement Heaton 1861-1940) can be admired as well.