Among the beautiful exhibitions expected in Paris for 2023, we find Pastels at the Musée d'Orsay. Indeed, just before the Manet / Degas event and before Van Gogh in Auvers sur Oise, the emblematic Museum of Paris unveils an exhibition presenting a hundred pastels drawn from the collection of nearly 500 works. It must be said that the last exhibition on pastels, called "The Mystery and the Radiance", dates from 2009.
So, from March 14 to July 2, 2023, we go to discover this exhibition that presents a hundred pastels from his collection, rich of about 500 works. It should be noted that the last exhibition of this magnitude to have been devoted to the pastels of the museum (The Mystery and the Radiance) already dates from 2009, this new presentation allows us to discover or rediscover these jewels of the collection where the works of Millet, Degas, Manet, Cassatt, Redon, Levy-Dhurmer and many others shine.
Pastel is a drawing technique much appreciated by artists, which offers great freedom of expression in terms of color and texture. From the lightness of the blur to the most vigorous hatching, waving, comma and stippling, pastel allows for a wide variety of styles and techniques. It is significant that an artist like Degas used it almost exclusively from 1888-90, the choice of pastel marking the culmination of his assiduous research on drawing and color.
The Pastels exhibition is structured around eight major themes that highlight the revival of pastels from the second half of the 19th century onwards. The themes in question correspond to the new subjects and genres to which the technique was extended during the period. We discover that the first room, Sociabilities, is interested in pastel portraits, in the continuity of the eighteenth century. Land and Sea, where Millet reigned supreme, highlights how pastel goes beyond the mundane spheres to address the nobility of rural life.
At the heart of the exhibition, a space entitled Modernities is devoted to the radically new subjects that the metropolis and the transformation of society inspired in Degas, Monet, Caillebotte and Boudin.
Interiors, the largest room in the exhibition, includes interior scenes and intimate depictions of children and family life, sometimes close to the snapshot, pastel being conducive to rapid and spontaneous notations. Mary Cassatt, Helleu and Vuillard are particularly honored here.
Intimacy is also conceived as a domestic space with a hushed atmosphere. It features nudes by Degas, often in their toilette, which he himself described as "modern Suzanne". They dialogue with those of Manet, among others. The essence of nature highlights how, in the continuity of Boudin, the pastel becomes a medium of choice for the landscape. While it is perfectly suited to noting atmospheric changes and light effects, the ephemerality of its material can also give the landscape a strange and ethereal character, dear to the symbolists. The last two sections of the exhibition are a reaction against Modernités. Arcadia brings together works by various artists (Fantin-Latour, Osbert, Puis de Chavannes, Desvallières...) testifying to the nostalgia of a symbiosis between man and nature, outside of time, and far from the radical transformations experienced at the end of the 19th century.
Finally, Souls and Chimeras, one part of which focuses on Levy-Dhurmer and the other on Redon, shows how, for these symbolist artists, the extraordinary plasticity of the pastel allows, beyond reality, to evoke the dream, the inner life, the imaginary, and to give a new dimension to myth. One is impressed by the diversity of the themes dealt with in this exhibition, which shows the richness and versatility of pastel as an artistic technique.
The Musée d'Orsay has chosen to present its pastels in eight thematic sections, thus offering a global vision of the evolution of pastel through the centuries. Each room is carefully organized and highlights the works on display. It is also worth noting that the exhibition presents works by many lesser-known artists, allowing us to discover lesser-known aspects of the artistic production of the period.
All in all, theexhibition Pastels at the Musée d'Orsay is a real event for art lovers, who will be able to discover a hundred works from the museum's pastel collection. Through eight thematic sections, the exhibition shows the evolution of pastels during the 19th century, highlighting the diversity of styles and techniques used by artists. We are fascinated by the beauty and delicacy of these works, which offer a poetic and moving vision of the world around us.
Dates and Opening Time
From March 14, 2023 to July 2, 2023
Prices
Nocturne: €12
Tarif réduit horodaté, enfants & Cie: €13
Plein tarif: €16
Recommended age
For all
Official website
www.musee-orsay.fr
