BERN.- One of the treasures of the Kunstmuseum Bern is the significant holding of works of early art. From 13 February to 27 September 2026, the museum is putting this part of its collection at the centre with the exhibition Life in Full. Old Masters from Duccio to Liotard. Alongside masters from the early modern period, the exhibition features works of Florentine and Sienese painting from the Trecento and Quattrocento as well as masterpieces of the Baroque. A fascinating exhibition that reflects the full range of life: martyrdom meets grandstanding, asceticism encounters opulence, virtue confronts lust.

Skillful altarpieces by Niklaus Manuel and the Bern Carnation Masters, and intimate devotional works of medieval Florentine and Sienese painting from the 13th to the 15th century are juxtaposed with elegant portraits and opulent still lifes by artists such as Joseph Heintz, Johannes Dünz, Albrecht Kauw and Jean-Etienne Liotard. Joseph Werner’s allegorical representations of virtue, justice and healing meet dramatic narratives from Greek mythology. With around 70 paintings and some works on parchment, the exhibition Life in Full. Old Masters from Duccio to Liotard in the Kunstmuseum Bern presents an impressive picture of the rich and varied imagery from the late Middle Ages to the Baroque.

Treasures from six centuries

The exhibition encompasses works from the 13th to the 18th century, starting with Duccio di Buoninsegna’s Maestà, the oldest painting in the collection of the Kunstmuseum Bern. It includes major holdings of Bern artists, but also some works from Germany, France and the Netherlands. One major focus is formed by the elaborate altarpieces of the Bern Carnation Masters, active between 1480 and 1510, and the significant holding of works by Niklaus Manuel, born around 1484.

The main gallery is devoted to Manuel, who was not only a painter, poet and graphic artist, but also a reformer, mercenary and alderman of the city of Bern, and to the Bern Carnation Masters. Many altarpieces, some shown free-standing, present extravagant and highly detailed scenes from the lives of the saints, and invite deeper contemplation.

Earthly and heavenly goods

In the age of the Baroque, Bern was one of the powerful city states, and for centuries the more affluent parts of the population enjoyed economic prosperity. Opulent still lifes displaying the rich harvests of the rural estates, as well as a comprehensive selection of prestigious portraits reflect this ‘material culture’ and the luxury of bourgeois life.

At the same time, and in contrast with the presentation of material wealth, concepts of a good and virtuous way of life were also addressed in painting. Examples of this are allegorical paintings by Joseph Werner and the famous Bern Tablet of Cebes by Joseph Plepp. This monumental painting, over 3 metres wide and with around 200 figures, shows the vicissitudes of humankind on their way to salvation.

The Estate of Adolf von Stürler

One highlight of the exhibition is a selection of works from the estate of the artist Adolf von Stürler (1802–1881). The painter left some 170 works to the Kunstmuseum Bern, which found their way into the collection in 1902. These include works by Florentine and Sienese masters of the Trecento and Quattrocento such as Bernardo Daddi, Fra Angelico and from the workshop of Sandro Botticelli – works which are without parallel in Switzerland, and which are among the oldest and most valuable paintings in the Kunstmuseum Bern’s collection. The holding also includes the Maestà by Duccio di Buononsegna, as precious as it is famous, which can be seen in a cabinet in the exhibition alongside other altarpieces and fragments.

Of Flora, Neptune and Venus

In another cabinet, mythological depictions by Bernese, French and Dutch artists serve as counterpoint to the many biblical scenes. This small but fine selection shows the fates of Greek gods and nymphs from the 16th to the 18th centuries. As a particular feature, miniatures by Joseph Werner are also on view. The small, very filigree works on parchment are shown only rarely because of their sensitivity to light.