Exhibition: Paul Durand-Ruel, Le pari de l'impressionnisme
/The current exhibition at the Musée du Luxembourg focuses on a 19th century art dealer (Paul Durand-Ruel) who played a major role in supporting Impressionist artists.
I was not expecting this to be such a colorful and diverse exhibition, and I was pleasantly surprised.
The exhibition features some unbelievable loans, including artworks by Monet, Renoir, Manet, Delacroix, Courbet, Degas, Pissarro, Cassatt, Morisot... One of my favorite paintings from the Art Institute of Chicago was on display!
During my visite, I completely ignored the wall labels (which tended to read like art auction receipts) and I lost myself in the brushstrokes and details of the artworks. While this made me a less informed exhibition visitor, it made me a more attentive observer.
On this particular Saturday, the showstopper for me was Manet's Le Combat du Kearsarge et de l'Alabama. I can't exactly explain why this painting of a maritime battle struck me so deeply, but the colors and lines and composition stopped me in my tracks. I spent probably ten minutes in front of the painting. It screams Manet.
I recommend this short exhibition as part of a leisurely weekend. Why not combine a visit with a stroll with the queens in the Luxembourg Gardens or a rich hot chocolate at the local Angelina?
Paul Durand-Ruel: Le pari de l'impressionnisme at the Musée du Luxembourg (until February 8, 2015)
Address: 19 Rue de Vaugirard, 75006 Paris ∣ Métro: Saint-Sulpice (line 4) or Mabillon (line 10) ∣ Opening hours: Every day from 10am to 7pm, open until 10pm on Monday and Friday, open from 9am to 8pm on Saturday and Sunday
