22/12/2023

"From Monet to Matisse. French Moderns" explores the world of French art from 1850 to 1950. This extraordinary exhibition, staged at Palazzo Zabarella in Padua from December 16, 2023, to May 12, 2024, catapults us into one of the most fascinating centuries in art history.

“From Monet to Matisse. French Moderns” explores the world of French art from 1850 to 1950.

This extraordinary exhibition, staged at Palazzo Zabarella in Padua from December 16, 2023, to May 12, 2024, catapults us into one of the most fascinating centuries in art history.

In this exceptional showcase, 59 works from the prestigious European collection of the Brooklyn Museum guide us through the evolution of French artists who challenged academic conventions to embrace everyday life as a source of inspiration.

But there’s more: this exhibition celebrates France as the epicenter of international modernism from 1850 to 1950.

Paintings and sculptures, representing an extraordinary variety of subjects, sizes, and styles, come to life in the halls of Palazzo Zabarella.

Iconic works by prominent artists such as Paul Cézanne, Marc Chagall, Gustave Courbet, Edgar Degas, Henri Matisse, and Claude Monet, along with 45 other masters, merge in a journey through key movements of the time: realism, impressionism, post-impressionism, symbolism, fauvism, cubism, and surrealism.

“From Monet to Matisse” unfolds in four sections – Landscape, Still Life, Portraits and Figures, and The Nude – tracing a captivating path that reveals fundamental transformations in art over a century.

The 4 Sections of the Exhibition:

1. Landscape: We explore the transformation of landscape in art, from being considered less significant to becoming an epic form of expression. Artists, abandoning studios to paint en plein air, capture the magic of colors and nuances in nature.
2. Still Life: Transcending the humble definition assigned by the French Academy, still life becomes a sensory celebration. 19th-century artists portray precious fabrics, ripe fruit, sunlit domestic scenes, and even exotic items from Egypt and Japan.
3. The Nude: Champions of modernity introduce a new concept of beauty through realistic representations of everyday life. Artists boldly embrace nudity with a contemporary gaze.
4. Portraits and Figures: From the mid-19th century, with the advent of affordable ready-to-wear clothing, artists paint fashionably dressed citizens with vibrant colors and textured surfaces.

In this journey, France emerges as a beacon of modernism, influencing and redefining Western art for half a century.

Useful information:

• Palazzo Zabarella is located in the center of Padua in a pedestrian area and can be reached on foot from the train station and Prato della Valle in 15 minutes.
• From December 16. 2023 to May 12. 2024
• From Tuesday to Sunday 10.00 – 19.00
• The ticket office closes at 6.15pm
• Closed on Mondays