Understanding the past brings us closer to who we are today — as individuals, but also as a society. For this reason, The Phoebus Foundation likes to look back. Whether it is at an early Christian tunic, a painting by Karel Appel or a drawing by Bruegel: each of these objects is in its own very specific way a witness to the context in which it was created. Each of The Phoebus Foundation publications immerses the reader in the story behind a work of art. This way, what seemed dead and gone is being brought back to life.

In 2017 The Phoebus Foundation started publishing a series of scientific publications highlighting masterpieces from the collection. For each new publication, art historians and other experts specialising in the relevant subject were engaged, to tell the story of the work in a captivating, comprehensible way. English translations of this series are being prepared.