French Art Masterpieces
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH) is
hosting, “The Masterpieces of French Painting from
The Metropolitan Museum of Art: 1800-1920” through
May 6, 2007. It took over a hundred years for such
an influential body of 19th century French art to be
assembled here in Houston, and it will be at least
another hundred years – if ever – before it happens
again.
The lead sponsor of the event, JP MorganChase,
held a premiere reception and viewing prior to
MFAH’s February 4 opening date, and even those who
didn’t understand the significance of the exhibit
were overwhelmed by this profound display.
Profound because, outside the Louvre or Musée
d’Orsay in Paris, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of
Art has the most treasured collection of French
artworks anywhere in the world. Profound because
Houston is the only venue in the United States at
which the collection will be shown. Profound because
the only reason Metropolitan Museum Director
Philippe de Montebello allowed the works to travel
was to make room for expansion and renovation of the
Met’s nineteenth-century European art galleries.
And profound because the works displayed (well
over 100 of them) were painted by 41 artists
comprising a who’s who list of influence on the art
you view today, whether in a gallery, in the pages
of a magazine, or pre-framed on the Wal-Mart shelf.
The greatest artists who painted in France between
1800 and 1920 are represented comprehensively, many
of them with multiple works. All of the major art
movements of the period can be traced, including
Neoclassicism, Romantic, Barbizon School, Realism,
Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Cubism, Fauvism,
and the list goes on.
A particularly striking painting in the exhibit,
less well-known than some, is “The Weeders” (1868)
by Jules Breton. In it, peasants toil at the end of
their workday, the warm glow of the setting sun
behind them casting long, cool shadows against the
green field. This painting is a smaller version of
an 1860 canvas that garnered the artist much
attention at the 1861 Salon show in Paris.
Another painting that captures the eye is by
Claude Monet, the original “painter of light.”
Inspired by the harsh, snowy winter of 1892-93, “Ice
Floes” (1893) captures the white-on-white landscape
near his home in Giverny. The palette is limited to
white, lightly tinted with the palest of blues and
pinks, depicting the thaw of the river Seine around
a small island.
Measuring over eight feet tall and nine feet
wide, Jules Bastien-Lepage’s imposing “Joan of Arc”
(1879) – with its life-sized human form – appears to
be a window into another reality. Rather than
idealizing the subject matter, the artist creates a
natural looking garden setting, which brought
criticism upon him in his day as not being lofty
enough for the subject matter. But Joan of Arc’s
clear blue eyes, focused on the sky as she harkens
to a divine revelation, are mesmerizing. Behind her,
the ephemeral figures of three saints ascend through
a bough of foliage, and their presence in the
painting is transcendent and otherworldly.
Vincent Van Gogh’s “Cypresses” (1889) was painted
around the same time as his famous, “Starry Night”
during his stay at the asylum in Saint-Rémy. This
work can only be fully appreciated by viewing it in
person, as the artist’s thick, impasto strokes give
the work a corporeal life on top of his
revolutionary color rendering. “Cypresses” shows the
wavy, spiraling stylistic effects, as well as a
celestial crescent moon, that also dominate “Starry
Night” and other paintings of the period. Looking
back upon his technique, art writers have speculated
that these unique painterly effects were evidence of
the artist’s growing dementia; true or not, viewing
“Cypresses” in person produces the full effect
intended by the artist. For the Van Gogh fan it is
an experience not to be missed.
In its entirety, this exhibit provides an
up-close view of the “dream team” of art history.
The artists of 19th century France built upon
previous centuries of development, but whether it
was the cultural and political environment of the
time and place, or there was just something in the
water, the work produced during this period was
awe-inspiring and revelatory... and since then
artistic movements have sprouted from these
nineteenth century branches and flourished, creating
the canopy of foliage and blooms that colors walls
and galleries the world over.
Whether you want to broaden your knowledge of
art, or just to have bragging rights, your
investment of time going to the museum will be
richly rewarded, and Houston may never see a
comparable opportunity, at least not in our
lifetimes. According to a statement by Met Director
de Montebello, “Never before in the history of the
Met have we agreed to lend so many of our treasures,
some of which are leaving the building for the first
– and most certainly the last – time.”
Masterpieces of French Painting
Showing through May 6, 2007 at The Museum of Fine
Arts, Houston, Audrey Jones Beck Building, 5601 Main
St. (parking $3, entrance on Binz St.). Timed-entry
tickets $15 adult/$10 child, weekend $18/$11, Thurs.
$8/$6.50. Discounts for seniors age 65. Children 5
and under are free. VIP all access tickets $25.
Discounts to members. Tickets and info online at
www.mfah.org or call 713-639-7771.
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