Huysmans, from Degas to Grünewald, the Musée d'Orsay exhibition

The Musée d'Orsay continues to expand its exhibitions onEdgar Degas. With Huysmans, art critic. From Degas to Grünewald, under the eye of Francesco Vezzoli, the institution offers a new perspective on the painter, that of art critic Joris-Karl Huysmans. Enthusiasts and neophytes alike, come to the museum from Tuesday, November 26, 2019 to Sunday, March 1, 2020 to discover this key figure in 19th-century cultural life.

This exhibition should delight lovers of art and literature. Those who have never heard of Joris-Karl Huysmans will be introduced to a major art critic of the late 19th century. A journalist and writer, Huysmans weighed in on the aesthetic debates of his time, highlighting important painters such as Rembrandt and Manet.

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Today, Huysmans is little known to the public. Yet he was considered a "symbolic son" of Zola and an heir to Baudelaire. Fans of Romantic literature can discover his works as a writer, such as the novel À rebours, which turned the literary world of the 19th century on its head.

Through him, the Musée d'Orsay also highlights a pivotal period in the artistic world, when different aesthetic currents came together. The exhibition, divided into several sequences, shows various paintings that Huysmans criticized. There are works by Manet, Gervex, Gauguin and Forain, providing a broad and interesting overview of an entire artistic period.

Italian artist and filmmakerFrancesco Vezzoli brings his own perspective to Huysmans' career. He drew inspiration from the journalist's life to create a striking installation. The artist wanted to represent the critic's great artistic moments, those when Huysmans allowed himself to be seduced by the style of new artists. His discoveries of Degas and Grünewald were important turning points that Francesco Vezzoli wanted to highlight.

In conjunction with this exhibition, the museum is offering two lectures on Joris-Karl Huysmans. On Friday, December 13, 2019, an inaugural lecture introduces the art critic and his fascination with Degas and Rembrandt. In autumn 2019, Huysmans entered the Pléiade collection. To mark the occasion, a second lecture on Thursday, January 23, 2020, invites you to discuss the whole of his written works.