The Museum of Arts in Nantes has unveiled an extraordinary exhibition that celebrates one of nature's most compelling subjects through the eyes of history's greatest painters. "Rain Under the Brush of the Greatest Painters" brings together nearly 150 works that courageously depict what many consider "bad" weather, from gentle drizzle to torrential downpours.
Curated by Marie-Anne du Boullay, who oversees the museum's 19th-century collections, the exhibition transforms the institution's grand patio into a meteorological journey through art history. The show features masterpieces from renowned artists including J.M.W. Turner, Gustave Courbet, and Gustave Caillebotte, each offering their unique interpretation of precipitation in all its forms.
Visitors entering the rotunda of the Museum of Arts inevitably find themselves humming Barbara's iconic song: "It rains on Nantes / Give me your hand / The sky of Nantes / Makes my heart sad." This poetic connection between the city and rain provides the perfect backdrop for an exhibition that explores how artists have captured the essence of stormy weather throughout the centuries.
The exhibition space itself has been thoughtfully designed to complement the theme. Scenographer Martin Michel has created an immersive environment with walls covered in shades of gray that mirror gathering storm clouds. Large portholes strategically placed throughout the space suggest the view from shelter during a storm, while the museum's 3,500 square meters of overhead glass ceiling makes the most of the weak autumn light filtering through.
Despite the potentially melancholic atmosphere suggested by Baudelaire's line "When the low and heavy sky weighs like a lid," the exhibition proves to be an enchanting experience. The careful curation reveals how artists have found beauty and inspiration in atmospheric conditions that others might consider dreary or unpleasant.
The collection spans from Turner's dramatic cloud formations to David Hockney's contemporary interpretations of rainfall, demonstrating how artistic techniques for depicting precipitation have evolved over time. Each work addresses fundamental questions about how artists convey the sensation of rain, the feeling of a sudden shower, or the persistence of drizzle through their chosen medium.
The exhibition is particularly fitting for Nantes, a city in Brittany's Loire-Atlantique department known for its frequent rain and maritime climate. The Museum of Arts, located in the city of the Dukes of Brittany, has a reputation for creating innovative dialogues between ancient and contemporary art, making it an ideal venue for this meteorological artistic exploration.
From the sweeping seascapes where Courbet captured storms off the Norman coast in works like "La Trombe" (The Waterspout) painted in 1866, to the subtle urban scenes where Caillebotte documented rain-soaked Parisian streets, the exhibition demonstrates the universal appeal of weather as an artistic subject. The show runs through the winter months, offering visitors a chance to contemplate the beauty of stormy weather from the comfort of the museum's well-protected galleries.
