Art enthusiasts in Seoul have a unique opportunity to explore European artistic evolution through two major exhibitions featuring masterpieces from renowned Italian and French museums. The exhibitions present works from Italy's Capodimonte Museum and France's Orangerie and Orsay Museums, offering visitors a comprehensive journey through 19th-century European art movements from realism to impressionism and beyond.
The first exhibition, "The 19th-Century Collection From Capodimonte Museum," is currently on display at My Art Museum in Seoul. This remarkable showcase features 74 works from southern Italy's largest art museum, whose collection spans from the Middle Ages to the 21st century. The exhibition provides a rare glimpse into the landscapes and daily life of 19th-century southern Italy through the eyes of Neapolitan painters, focusing particularly on the Italian realism movement known as verismo.
The Capodimonte collection illuminates the dramatic social changes and human stories of southern Italy during a period of significant transformation, from the end of the monarchy to Italy's unification in 1861. The selected works encompass three major artistic movements: neoclassicism, romanticism, and verismo, the Italian realism movement of the late 19th century that compassionately portrays the lives of ordinary people. While verismo shares similarities with French realism, it reveals the distinct social texture and emotional resonance unique to southern Italy.
The exhibition is organized into four thematic sections: "Female Images," "Interiors," "Gioacchino Toma, evoking the state of mind," and "Exteriors." Italian painter Gioacchino Toma, featured prominently in the exhibition, is best known for his romantic style works depicting historical and realistic themes. The Capodimonte Museum, which opened to the public in 1957, is located on a historic hunting reserve of Charles of Bourbon, an 18th-century king of Naples, overlooking the city and the Gulf of Naples.
The second exhibition, "The Orangerie Museum and the Orsay Museum: Cezanne and Renoir," is housed at Seoul Arts Center's Hangaram Design Museum. This showcase features collections from two of Paris's most prestigious museums, both renowned for their exceptional impressionism collections. The exhibition explores the artistic relationship and influence between three masters of modern art: Paul Cezanne, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Pablo Picasso.
The exhibition begins with paintings by Paul Cezanne (1839-1906) and Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919), demonstrating how these two masters share similarities as artists in post-impressionism and impressionism respectively, while also highlighting their distinct styles and artistic paths. Despite belonging to the same generation and shaping the impressionist movement in the late 19th century with their shared interest in capturing light and color, their paintings reveal unique characteristics that set them apart.
Renoir's work focused on the warmth of human life, sunlight, and sensuality, creating paintings that radiate joy and vitality. In contrast, Cezanne sought the underlying structure and geometry of nature, developing techniques that paved the way for post-impressionism and the beginnings of modern art. Cezanne's iconic apple paintings became legendary for redefining still life as a study of form and color, laying the groundwork for modern artistic expression. The artist once confidently declared, "With an apple, I will astonish Paris," a quote prominently displayed at the exhibition.
The exhibition concludes with paintings by Pablo Picasso (1881-1973), illuminating how both Cezanne and Renoir profoundly influenced the master of cubism. Picasso first encountered Cezanne's work at the age of 19, marking the beginning of a lifelong admiration for the artist's revolutionary approach to painting. The cubist master later referred to Cezanne as his "one and only master," acknowledging him as a decisive influence in shaping his artistic vision and the development of modern art.
The Orangerie and Orsay exhibition has been curated by Cecile Girardeau, curator of collections at the Orangerie Museum, ensuring authentic presentation and expert interpretation of these masterworks. The Capodimonte exhibition runs through November 30, while the Orangerie and Orsay exhibition continues through January 25, providing Seoul residents and visitors with extended opportunities to experience these exceptional collections from Europe's most celebrated art institutions.
