Agenda

The exhibition presents a panorama of landscape painting, with around 60 key works from the collection covering the period between 1500 and 1800 in Flanders, Holland and Italy. Landscape painting was not a motif as such until the late fifteenth and beginning of the sixteenth century. The presentation opens with late medieval paintings in which the purpose of the landscape is to enliven the depiction of a Biblical scene and present it in the best light. They are followed by Netherlandish and Italian landscapes from the 16th and 17^th centuries. The Renaissance and later the Reformation and the Baroque paved the way when biblical scenes were not wanted anymore.

Especially fine works by the Flemish Jan Brueghel the Elder (1568-1625) herald the start of landscape painting’s heyday in the 17th century, as Dutch artists move away from religious motifs and develop a rich tradition of pure landscape. On show are works by painters including Hendrick Avercamp (1585-1634), Jan van Goyen (1596-1656), Jacob van Ruisdael (1628-1682), Nicolaes Berchem (1620-1683), and Margareta de Heer (1603-1665).

The presentation of Dutch landscapes is followed by paintings created in Italy during the 17th century, including works by Domenichino (1581-1641), Salvator Rosa (1615-1673)and two paintings by Claude Lorrain (1600-1682).

The final section of the presentation looks ahead to artistic production on the cusp of the 20th century, when representatives of modernism started to incorporate their own visions into the choice of motifs and their painterly execution. In early modern landscapes, artists such as van Gogh, Segantini and Monet react in a strikingly different way to the open country that the Old Masters had painted so emblematically.

What do the Swiss laugh about, and what do others find funny about us? These are just two of the questions raised in the exhibition “Made in Witzerland” on a journey through the world of humour, wit, and satire. The multimedia exhibition takes a differentiated look at the funny side of Switzerland – featuring 19th-century caricatures, modern cartoons, and famed Swiss comedians. There are show clips In the TV lounge from popular Swiss comedy series and movies.

«Made in Witzerland» also addresses everyday humour, Swiss stereotypes and clichés, as well as socially and politically improper jokes. At the same time, it explores differences between male and female humour and looks at how children view and deal with irony and situational humour, all trenchantly presented in a surprising scenography.

The art treasures of the bishopric of Chur can be admired in the museum (Domschatzmuseum) after a long renovation. The collection consists of about 200 objects, 70 of which are on display in the current exhibition. In addition to religious objects, various secular objects, such as a sword, are also on display . They show the secular power of the bishop. The bishopric was powerful until the Reformation and played a prominent political role in Graubünden and far beyond. The famous Totentanz (Dance of Death) from 1543 can also be seen in the basement of the museum.