Collaborating with the Musée d’Orsay of Paris, Louvre Abu Dhabi presents Post-Impressionism: Beyond Appearances. This fascinating exhibition delves into the era of Post-Impressionism from 1886 to 1905 which transformed the art world. The curation team comprises Jean-Rémi Touzet (Curator of Painting at Musée d’Orsay), Jérôme Farigoule (Chief Curator at Louvre Abu Dhabi), Aisha Alahmadi (Curatorial Assistant at Louvre Abu Dhabi), and Estelle Bégué and Fanny Matz (Scientific Documentalists for Paintings at Musée d’Orsay). The exhibition will be open to the public 9 February 2025.
Visitors can admire around 100 artworks (paintings, works on paper, sculptures, and textile pieces) by Post-Impressionist luminaries. These are Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh and French artists Paul Cézanne, Georges Seurat, Henri-Edmond Cross, Emile Bernard, Paul Sérusier, Paul Gauguin, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. The exhibited masterpieces come from Louvre Abu Dhabi’s collection and esteemed French institutions: Musée d’Orsay, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Institut National d’Histoire de l’Art, and Musée Toulouse-Lautrec, to name a few.
Composed of nine sections, the exhibition provides a deep insight into the unique paths taken by Post-Impressionist artists. Guests are welcome to explore Neo-Impressionist Path; Gauguin and Pont-Aven Path showcasing Gauguin’s renowned painting Arearea (1892); Nabis Path; Toulouse-Lautrec Path; Odilon Redon Path; and New Ways, from Post-Impressionism to the avant-garde of the 20th Century.
In the Cézanne Path section, one can have a look at his Portrait of Madam Cézanne (1885 and 1890) and Still Life with Onions (circa 1896–1898). On display is also Cézanne’s series of art pieces that include Mont Sainte-Victoire, a painting honouring the mountain that deeply inspired him. Meanwhile, the Van Gogh Path features his famed paintings The Siesta (between 1889 and 1890), his interpretation of an 1866 canvas by Jean-Francois Millet, and Bedroom in Arles (1889). The latter portrays Van Gogh’s room at 2 Place Lamartine in Arles (Bouches-du-Rhône, France) known as the “Yellow House”.
The Prints section presents two woodblock prints in the ukiyo-e genre from Louvre Abu Dhabi’s collection: Sudden Shower over Shin-Ōhashi Bridge and Atake and Plum Estate in Kameido by Utagawa Hiroshige. Both works are from the One Hundred Famous Views of Edo series (1857). Interestingly, Japanese art, the ukiyo-e style, in particular, was among the significant sources of Van Gogh’s inspiration.
Other remarkable exhibits are The Hair (circa 1892) and The Evening Air by Henri-Edmond Cross (circa 1893); Breton Women with Umbrellas (1892) by Emile Bernard; and The Talisman, The Aven River at the Bois d’Amour (1888) by Paul Sérusier. Two pieces by French-Egyptian artist Georges Hanna Sabbagh, The Artist and His Family at the Church of La Clarté (1920) and The Family: The Sabbaghs in Paris (1921), are also on view, further illustrating Post-Impressionism’s reach beyond Europe.
Interactive multimedia, video projections, and display features invite visitors to engage with the exhibition and discover how Post-Impressionists defied convention, paving the way for modernism. The artists’ palettes, displayed nearby, bring visitors closer to the very tools these masters used to create their iconic works.
Commenting on the exhibition, Dr Guilhem André (Scientific, Curatorial, and Collection Management Director) said that each artist in the show presents a unique approach, yet the exhibition celebrates the unifying connections that marked this transformative era in art history. Curators Jean-Rémi Touzet and Jérôme Farigoule added that the show captures how, building on Impressionism and challenging academic norms, a constellation of artists redefined art, culminating in early 20th-century abstract art.
The Post-Impressionism: Beyond Appearances exhibition is complemented by a series of engaging cultural events. They include a public talk with the exhibition’s curators, held on October 15, with the podcast available on Louvre Abu Dhabi’s website and mobile app. On December 6 and 7, Secret Dinners will offer an immersive experience of music, art, and cuisine inspired by Post-Impressionism. The programme also features a screening of Loving Vincent, a film about a young man’s journey to Van Gogh’s final hometown, where he investigates the artist’s last days.
For younger audiences, an interactive Young Visitors’ Guide is available for students and children, along with family weekend activities at the end of each month. Besides, visitors can enjoy special Post-Impressionist sessions in the museum’s ongoing programmes, including Drawing at the Museum and Book an Easel, alongside guided tours tailored for adults and children.
To get more information about Post-Impressionism: Beyond Appearances, please go to the exhibition’s official web page.
In addition, you might be interested in visiting Picturing the Cosmos, an exhibition for children which may also be interesting to adults, as well, and Istoria: A Retrospective Reimagining Middle Eastern Feminism, Leila Nseir’s solo show. We also recommend that you read our article about exciting activities at Louvre Abu Dhabi.
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