International collaboration puts treasured art in Louvre Abu Dhabi spotlight

Exhibition of Post-Impressionist masterpieces complemented by educational activities for all and interactive Young Visitors’ Guide for students and children

Mont Sainte - Victoire by Paul Cézanne (1839-1906) circa 1890. Ismail Noor / DCT Abu Dhabi

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Treasured works from some of the world’s most revered artists are in the UAE capital for an exhibition that provides Louvre Abu Dhabi with an impressive finish to 2024 - and a bold start to the new year.

Post-Impressionism: Beyond Appearances features about 100 works from the collections of Musee d’Orsay in Paris and other French institutions, as well as the landmark museum on Saadiyat Island.

Among the masterpieces are works by artists including Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cezanne, Henri-Edmond Cross, and Paul Serusier. The exhibition has created a buzz since opening to the public on October 16.

Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of Louvre Abu Dhabi, inaugurated Post-Impressionism: Beyond Appearances, organised in partnership with Musee d’Orsay and France Museums. It will run until February 9, 2025.

Also under Louvre Abu Dhabi’s unmistakable roof are esteemed pieces from visionary artists such as Paul Gauguin, Georges Seurat, Emile Bernard, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, who also helped to define the Post-Impressionist movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The exhibition is curated by Jean-Remi Touzet, curator of painting at Musee d’Orsay, and Jerome Farigoule, chief curator at Louvre Abu Dhabi, with support from curatorial assistant Aisha Alahmadi, plus Estelle Begue and Fanny Matz, scientific documentalists for paintings at Musee d’Orsay.

Included in the event catalogue are paintings, works on paper, and textiles from nine museums and cultural institutions.

Sponsored by Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank and supported by media partner L’Officiel Arabia, the exhibition follows Louvre Abu Dhabi’s “exceptional” 2022 collaborative exhibition with Musee d’Orsay, titled Impressionism: Pathways to Modernity.

Welcoming Post-Impressionism: Beyond Appearances, Louvre Abu Dhabi director Manuel Rabate said: “The exhibition, whose colourful scenography echoes the artists’ palettes, allows visitors to discover and rediscover a period whose keywords are innovation and a quest for openness, qualities that resonate with the blossoming artistic sector in the region, while fulfilling Louvre Abu Dhabi’s mission of presenting key moments in the history of art.”

Among the paintings on loan from Musee d’Orsay are Van Gogh’s Bedroom in Arles (1889) and The Siesta (between 1889 and 1890); The Hair (circa 1892) and The Evening Air by Cross (circa 1893); Cezanne’s Portrait of Madam Cezanne (1885 and 1890) and Still Life with Onions (circa 1896-1898); Breton Women with Umbrellas (1892) by Bernard; and Serusier’s The Talisman, The Aven River at the Bois d’Amour(1888).

Art lovers can also enjoy prints from Louvre Abu Dhabi’s collection. These include Sudden Shower over Shin-Ohashi Bridge and Atake, from the series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (1857) by Utagawa Hiroshige.

There are also two paintings by Egyptian artist Georges Hanna Sabbagh, namely The Artist and His Family at the Church of La Clarte, 1920 (a loan from Centre Pompidou) and The Family: The Sabbaghs in Paris, 1921 (loaned by Musee de Grenoble).

Guilhem Andre, scientific, curatorial and collection management director, said that Post-Impressionism: Beyond Appearances showcases “significant masterpieces” of the Post-Impressionist period.

“From the refined Neo-Impressionist compositions of Henri-Edmond Cross to the structured rhythms of Paul Cezanne, the technical brilliance of Paul Gauguin, the expressive brushwork of Vincent van Gogh, and the vibrant palette of Maurice Denis,” he said.

“While each artist presents a distinct approach to the movement, the exhibition thoughtfully celebrates their artistic expressions and the underlying connections that unify this transformative era in art history.”

Mr Guilhem said that the definition of Post-Impressionism, coined in 1910, forged connections that went beyond European artists.

“Including painters such as Georges Hanna Sabbagh, the last section of the exhibition exemplifies the true influence of the movement and the depth of the network it fostered,” he said. “The exhibition narrative reflects the museum’s commitment to broadening the art history canon.”

Further expanding on the significance of the exhibition, curators Mr Touzet and Mr Farigoule explained how, in the past two decades of the 19th century, a young generation invented new ways of painting, such as “the delicate stippling of Georges Seurat, the dazzling flat tints of Paul Gauguin, and the energetic impastos of Vincent van Gogh”.

“Thanks to the exceptional masterpieces on loan from Musee d’Orsay, the exhibition will show how, in opposition to academicism and drawing on the Impressionist model, a heterogeneous constellation of artists reinvented the conception of painting and art as a whole, culminating at the start of the 20th century in the assertion of abstract art, beyond appearances," they said in a statement.

A talk with the curators, which helps visitors to explore the exhibition, is available as a podcast on Louvre Abu Dhabi’s website and mobile app.

The unique and colourful scenography of Post-Impressionism: Beyond Appearances is structured into nine captivating sections, each highlighting the distinct journeys of Post-Impressionist artists.

Visitors can explore the Neo-Impressionist Path; Cezanne Path; Gauguin and Pont-Aven Path; van Gogh Path; Nabis Path; Toulouse-Lautrec Path; and the Odilon Redon Path; the Prints; and the New Ways, from Post-Impressionism to the avant-garde of the 20th Century.

These sections are designed to allow culture lovers a closer look at the Post-Impressionist masters and encourage personal interpretation of the works. Four interactive multimedia devices give them the chance to engage in video projections and interactive stories about the artists, and experiment with the creation of their own artworks.

Sylvain Amic, president of Musee d’Orsay and Musee de l’Orangerie, Valery Giscard d’Estaing, described the exhibition as a “visionary artistic project”. He said it marked “a pivotal moment” in cultural exchange, not only for the UAE and the Gulf region but on a “global scale”.

“We remain committed to our partners, Louvre Abu Dhabi and France Museums, and look forward to continuing our work together on projects as iconic as the exhibitions Impressionism: Pathways to Modernity and Post-Impressionism: Beyond Appearances,” he added.

Beside Musee d’Orsay, lenders to the exhibition include Bibliotheque nationale de France, Institut National d’Histoire de l’Art, Musee de Grenoble, Le Signe, centre national des arts graphiques, Musee Toulouse-Lautrec, Petit Palais, musee des Beaux-arts de la Ville de Paris, and Musee national d’art moderne - Centre Georges Pompidou, as well as Louvre Abu Dhabi.

Post-Impressionism: Beyond Appearances is accompanied by a rich cultural and educational programme.

Also on offer are a series of educational activities for adults, families and youth, including the specialised interactive Young Visitors’ Guide for students and children to explore the exhibition through questions, clues and fun facts, in addition to family weekend activations at the end of each month.

Adult guests will have specific post-impressionists' sessions of the museum’s series programmes such as Drawing at the Museum and Book an Easel, in addition to dedicated guided tours.

More information about the exhibition is available at www.louvreabudhabi.ae and by calling 971-600-565566. Exhibition entry free with the museum’s general admission tickets and a Post-Impressionism: Beyond Appearances exhibition catalogue is available in Arabic, English and French at the museum shop.