Seurat at the Kusthaus
The latest exhibition at the Kunsthaus opened yesterday. Entitled "Figur in Raum" or "Figure in Space" it showcases the French artist Georges Seurat. I hadn't been looking forward to it with much anticipation, but my customary 5 minute inspection which I give to all new exhibitions here proved surprising. My first reaction was "where are all the pictures?" The majority are so small that you could be mistaken for thinking that they had hung the place cards up and forgot about the paintings. The picture that announces the work on large posters around town, the Eiffel tower, is actually only 25cm x 15cm - ie a bit larger than half an A4 sheet.... I expected something much more imposing, in keeping with Gustave's 324m icon.My ignorance of Seurat was compounded as I tried a quick survey to find out how his style had developed during his lifetime - no "late style" here, he died when he was 31. What I found most intriguing was the large number of black charcoal sketches, many of solitary figures silhouetted or highlighted by chiaroscura effects in some way, and obviously the theme that inspired the exhibition's title. Quite a nice photographic analogy to be developed here, I think.
Here is one his most famous paintings, at least to me it is the most familiar.
It is however to my mind uncharacteristic of the work on show as a whole. It is large-ish, and complex-ish. I'll come back to this when I have had a chance to absorb the show in more detail, but I'm pleased that it looks like turning out to be a better feast that I'd imagined.
J'ai pour ma part été étonnée lorsque la collection Philipps s'est déplacée à Paris par le déjeuner des canotiers de Renoir, par son immensité surtout. Il est aussi important de pouvoir voir les coups de pinceaux, et aussi le cadre.
Parfois on est déçu comme par le citron de Manet au musée d'Orsay de Paris et son cadre monstrueux.
J'ai adoré Klimt et ses amis, les cadres sobres, dans des matériaux innovants tels que les métaux.
Il y a toujours à apprendre d'un peintre pour un photographe. Tu adorerais Vlaminck et ses paysages urbains, j'en suis sûre. La façon dont les détails sont noyés ou au contraire mis en avant...