Walk-in tour - Folly Beyond Words

Folly Beyond Words shows how artists have transformed proverbs, sayings and figurative language into surprising and meaningful images for centuries. The exhibition centres on the work of Bruegel, who became famous for his depictions of idioms and proverbs. Behind the humour often lie sharp observations about society and human behaviour.

Together with our guide, you will discover the highlights of Folly Beyond Words. Explore masterpieces by Bruegel and his contemporaries, and learn how artists of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries used figurative language to make people think and spark conversation. Along the way, you will encounter themes that remain relevant today, including social inequality, upbringing, corruption and the fragility of life.