Cézanne and Renoir at the Fondation Gianadda
Published: Friday, Jul 19th 2024, 11:10
Volver a Live Feed
Around 60 works by the two masters of French painting, Paul Cézanne (1839-1906) and Auguste Renoir (1841-1919), are juxtaposed at the Fondation Gianadda in Martigny VS. Interested parties can visit the exhibition until November 19.
"Both painters were involved in the beginnings of Impressionism before freeing themselves from it and going their own way. Cézanne with rigor and geometry, Renoir with suppleness and sensuality," Martha Degiacomi, art historian at the Fondation Gianadda, told the Keystone-SDA news agency
"Although their works are very different, the dialog presented in this exhibition is by no means artificial," explains the expert. On the one hand, it continues the connection that has existed between the two men since the beginning of their careers.
On the other hand, this rapprochement, which dates back to the Paris Autumn Salon of 1904, is reminiscent of the influence they exerted on the masters of modern art such as Picasso. And the two artists had "the same collectors", notes Degiacomi.
One theme, two styles
The first part of the exhibition, entitled "Cézanne - Renoir Regards croisés" (Crossed Glances), presents a detailed comparison of the works. Paintings with similar themes such as still lifes, landscapes, portraits and bathing scenes are placed side by side.
"Renoir has a sensual and exuberant painting style. When he paints tulips, for example, you get the impression that you could touch them," explains Degiacomi. "Cézanne, for his part, paints with enormous sobriety. He concentrates on the design of shapes and colors." The second part of the exhibition examines the unique stylistic development of the two artists in a chronological approach.
Heritage and influence
The exhibition ends with "an opening to the legacy" of the two painters and their influence on subsequent artists. Cézanne's commitment to the geometrization of forms and the construction of space heralded Cubism, as the foundation explains. The artist, who was born in Aix-en-Provence, once wrote: "Nature must be treated through the cylinder, the sphere and the cone."
"Renoir, for his part, contributed to shaping the course of modern art with his exploration of light, his virtuosity in portraiture and his celebration of the nude." These elements can also be found in Picasso's "Grand nu à la draperie", which accompanies the end of the exhibition, emphasizes Degiacomi.
Exhibition "extra muros"
Most of the works on display are in the Musée de l'Orangerie and were collected by the art dealer Paul Guillaume (1891-1934) and, after his death, by his wife Domenica (1898-1977). "The corpus provides a panorama that covers a large part of the career of the two painters, from the 1870s until their deaths," explains the French museum on its website.
The ensemble is complemented by a number of contributions from the Musée d'Orsay collection. In Martigny, the Foundation has also added some works from its own collection. The exhibition, which was conceived by the Orangerie and Orsay museums in Paris, was shown in Milan and will travel on to Hong Kong, Tokyo and Seoul after its stay in Valais.
©Keystone/SDA
Spanish 
English 
German 
French 
Arabic