Cézanne vs Renoir: Milan exhibition compares the styles of Impressionist founding fathers
Milan's Palazzo Reale is celebrating 150 years since the birth of Impressionism with an exhibition of works by the godfathers of the movement, French artists Paul Cézanne and Pierre-Auguste Renoir.
52 of their paintings are on display, dating from the 1870s to the early 20th century.
"This year is the 150th anniversary of the historic Parisian exhibition which gave its name to the Impressionist movement and which was held in April 1874," art historian Stefano Zuffi explained. "That exhibition included works by Cézanne and Renoir and these two protagonists have been identified for a path that compares them in parallel and in relation.”
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What to expect from the exhibition
The exhibition showcases the groundbreaking artists' similarities, as well as their differences.
“Following the different paths of their respective lives and the independent style of each other, but also the moments of meeting and dialogue, which can be better grasped by seeing the affinities of their themes: landscapes, still lifes, bathers, naked figures. These are recurring themes in both Renoir's and Cézanne's paintings,” Zuffi said.
Cézanne and Renoir were friends and often worked together, but for curator Cécile Girardeau, each artist has a distinct and recognisable style.
“On the one hand, we have Cézanne who looks for essential geometric structures, patterns in a still life," she said. "For example, he represents apples as spheres. He gives the idea of a table by drawing a rectangle which will not necessarily be straight."
"On the other side, Renoir, who is also very attentive to drawing, but who pays great attention to the rendering of textures and in particular he always seeks to render the feeling of the skin, to restore the mother-of-pearl of a texture," she explained.
In addition to the paintings, the exhibition also features recreations of the artists' workshops.
But it's not all about Cézanne and Renoir - two paintings by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso, who was inspired by the Impressionists - are also on display.
The 'Cézanne and Renoir' exhibition runs until 30 June at Milan's Palazzo Reale.