Tiny paradises

This winter, Gruyères Castle celebrates an extraordinary tradition with an exhibition of meticulously detailed works created in the convents of Fribourg between the 18th and 20th centuries.

The “miniature paradises” on display are glass cases in which the nuns placed religious compositions executed in a wide range of materials. Using offcuts of printed paper, ribbons, wax, wool and small fabric flowers, they produced figures that were set amidst a sumptuous and colourful decor.

While focusing primarily on nativity scenes, the exhibition also features derivatives of the genre – private devotional scenes, reliquaries and self-portraits that the nuns sent to their families – and showcases the exceptional skill that went into producing these remarkable works.

Curators
Filipe Dos Santos et Marie Rochel