The museum in Dijon, France, has seen an unexpected visitor surge since the Olympic opening ceremony, as people flock to view a painting that might have inspired a contentious tableau criticized by some Christians and conservatives.
The July 26 opening ceremony for the Paris Games featured Celine Dion, a fashion runway show on a bridge, references storied moments in France's past and a parade of boats with flag-waving athletes on board.
But one scene raised the ire of some Christians and conservative politicians.
The critics said the performance resembled the New Testament scene of Jesus Christ and his apostles sharing a last meal before crucifixion – and that it mocked the faith of Christians.
The director of the opening ceremony, Thomas Jolly, and the Olympic organizers later clarified, however, that the much-criticized scene was not inspired by the Bible, but was a depiction of a feast with figures from Greek mythology surrounding the god Dionysus.
Dijon's Museum Magnin is home to "The Feast of the Gods" by Dutch painter Jan Harmensz van Bijlert (1597-1671), an artwork that depicts one such feast.
To capitalize on the public interest sparked by the Olympic opening ceremony, the museum took to Instagram to promote the painting, urging that "now or never is the time to admire it."
And indeed, Van Bijlert's painting, which has been hanging in Dijon relatively unnoticed since 1938, has been drawing big crowds recently, museum spokeswoman Leslie Weber-Robardet told French broadcaster BFMTV.
Usually, the museum gets a few dozen visitors per day, she said. Most recently, it has been hundreds.
The rush on the museum's website, which provides detailed information on the Dutch painter's work, is even greater. According to the museum, the number of daily hits skyrocketed from 150 to 150,000.
