MONET. Dal Musée Marmottan Monet, Parigi

Palazzo Reale, Milano September 18, 2021 - January 30, 2022

On 18 September, the autumn season at the Palazzo Reale in Milan will be inaugurated by the much awaited exhibition devoted to the leading representative of Impressionism: Claude Monet. The exhibit itinerary features 53 works by Monet. This is an extraordinary loan, not just because it brings together some real gems from Monet’s artistic output, but also considering how difficult it is to move artworks from one country to another in this period. The chronological itinerary covers the Impressionist master’s entire artistic trajectory, interpreted through works that the artist himself regarded as fundamental, private ones – so much so that he kept them in his home in Giverny. These paintings, which Monet always refused to sell, express powerful emotions associated with his artistic genius. The exhibition provides an overview of the Impressionist master’s entire artistic career: from his very first works illustrating the new method of en plein air painting – small-size canvases – to the rural and urban landscapes of London, Paris, Vétheuil, Pourville, and the artists’ many dwellings. This is Monet’s world, with its rich yet delicate brush-strokes and the sometimes dim, sometimes glaring light that has ensured the fame of masterpieces such as The Beach at Trouville (1870), The Stroll (1875), and Charing Cross (1899‐1901). But there is more to it. Verdant weeping willows, dream-like rose paths, and solitary Japanese bridges; monumental water-lilies, wisterias with evanescent hues, and a portrayal of nature in each of its fleeting instants. The Musée Marmottan Monet possesses the world’s largest collection of Monet artworks, stemming from a generous donation that in 1966 his son Michel made to the museum. Subdivided into 7 sections and curated by Marianne Mathieu – an art historian and the scientific director of the Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris – the exhibition leads visitors to discover key works in the history of Impressionism and in Monet’s artistic research on light reflections and changes – the alpha and omega of his artistic approach. ▲ l’aggravarsi della cataratta. Queste opere non più nitide saranno di ispirazione per i pittori della seconda metà del Novecento. L’ultima sezione si intitola “Le rose”, si sà, i fiori hanno accompagnato tutta la vita di Monet, e quest’ultima opera dipinta nell’anno della sua scomparsa, vuole rendere omaggio alla natura che ha saputo raffigurare così bene. ▲