This is the story of a political refugee in Switzerland who went on to become Emperor of France. Along the way, Napoleon III left behind traces that still shine brightly today.

Due to the new lockdown of the museums, Hibou Pèlerin has been forced to take a compulsory break. He is using this time to read some new publications on cultural history. A brand new world history of the museum by Krzysztof Pomian has him riveted.

A stained-glass work of exceptional artistic quality dating from 1588, on permanent loan from the Swiss National Museum, adds a touch of dramatic beauty to the Ittinger Museum in the Kartause Ittingen.

Carefully staged work of chivalric self-aggrandisement: The barons of Hohenklingen are depicted in front of the stable in Bethlehem, the same size as the Three Wise Men.

The legends of the saints are written without footnotes. They can’t be checked and verified. The significance of these legends lies in the moral ideal that lives on in elaborate portrayals as a gentle entreaty to follow their saintly example.

In Brazil, illustrator and graphic artist Oswaldo Goeldi is considered a master of the art of expressionist xylography – the art of engraving on wood. In Switzerland, the work of this Swiss-Brazilian dual national is yet to be discovered.

The ancient sculpture of Laocoön and his sons is a turning point in the artistic representation of man – but the piece is also an object of projection for constantly changing ideals of masculinity.

The German Prince Leopold III had a fondness for stained glass. On a shopping expedition to Switzerland, he purchased some valuable specimens which can be seen in Wörlitz today.