Reviews

COPENHAGEN. They caused an outrage when they appeared. Today they rank among the most reproduced, popular and priceless artists in the world. Monet, Renoir, Degas, Pissarro, Rodin, van Gogh, Cézanne, Braque… From the end of January 2009 they can all be seen at ARKEN Museum of Modern Art in Denmark.

George Braque, Trees at la Ciotat

In the spring of 2009 ARKEN presents the fine collection of French Impressionists and Post-Impressionists from The Israel Museum, Jerusalem. 53 paintings and sculptures come to Denmark for four months in the exhibition MONET, RENOIR, VAN GOGH, GAUGUIN – Impressionists and Post-Impressionists from The Israel Museum, Jerusalem. It is a unique opportunity to experience a number of masterpieces by the many brilliant and innovative artists based in France who would revolutionise world art from the 1870s and into the twentieth century. A time when change was the only constant.

The artists caused an outrage when they appeared. Today they rank among the most reproduced, popular and priceless artists.
ENCOUNTERING THE MODERN WORLD: In their art the Impressionists communicated their sensory perception of the new modern world that was developing before their eyes. They created a new style of painting, immediate and sketch-like in order to capture the fleeting moment before it was over. They painted the reality around them. The heroes and gods of past generations’ art must surrender their place to contemporary people of flesh and blood; elegant Parisiennes, rural girls, posh gentlemen and harvesters. Eager students of sunlight, the Impressionists painted outdoors. They daubed their canvasses spontaneously and with brushes heavy with paint. They painted with colours rather than lines. Their works pulse with presence and a particular sensual pleasure.

Paul Gauguin,Still Life, 1899.

The Post-Impressionists denotes the group of contemporary or younger artists who painted in a different style from the Impressionists. Some of them, instead, retired from modern life. They depicted the inner world instead of the outer one – and an artist like Gauguin travelled to Tahiti to find and pursue the original, primitive life.

MONET, RENOIR, VAN GOGH, GAUGUIN presents the incredible span in the artists’ reactions to the new age. We are shown a volatile, versatile period when the artist milieu was seething with innovations, discussions, inspiration, friendships and discord.

PAINTING AND CHAIN-SMOKING MONET IN ACTION: This insight is given us not merely through the paintings but also via some rare film clips that are shown in the exhibition. They are taken from Sacha Guitry’s 1915 film Ceux de chez nous (Those of Our Land). His project was to immortalise the most important personages in his own time – before it was too late! – in the relatively young medium of film.
Here we see Monet painting and chain-smoking at his lily pond. An arthritic Renoir in a wheelchair painting while his son, Jean Renoir, is helping him mix the paints. Finally we are given a glimpse of a reluctant Degas promenading down a boulevard. Degas did not wish to receive Sacha Guitry.  The film is unique both because of its content and as film history. As far as we know, it has never before been shown in Denmark.

Paul Cézanne Country House by a River 1890

The exhibition is organised by The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, in collaboration with ARKEN Museum of Modern Art.


ARTISTS IN THE EXHIBITION: Pissarro, Degas, Renoir, Monet, Guillaumin, Sisley, Hassam, Rodin and Bourdelle, as well as Signac, Rysselberghe, Cross, Cézanne, Mailllol, Gauguin, Bernard, Valtat, Sérusier, Bonnard, Vuillard, Friesz, Braque and van Gogh.

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Futher Information

MONET, RENOIR, VAN GOGH, GAUGUIN