HKMoA stages first large-scale exhibition of French Impressionist giants Cézanne and Renoir in Hong Kong (with photos)
"The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Cézanne and Renoir Looking at the World – Masterpieces from the Musée de l’Orangerie and the Musée d’Orsay" exhibition will be staged at the Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMoA) starting from tomorrow (January 17). The exhibition features 52 iconic works from the renowned Musée de l’Orangerie and the Musée d’Orsay, bringing to Hong Kong national treasures of France. It is the first major showcase in Hong Kong dedicated to the work of two French Impressionist giants, Paul Cézanne and Pierre-Auguste Renoir.
Addressing the opening ceremony held today (January 16), the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, said that the Musée de l’Orangerie and the Musée d’Orsay are internationally celebrated for their outstanding Impressionist art collections, and Hong Kong is delighted to exhibit these national treasures of France that are cherished by audiences worldwide. It is a brilliant illustration of a cultural exchange between East and West, a glowing testament to Hong Kong-French co-operation, and a tribute to last year's 150th anniversary of the world's first Impressionist exhibition.
Miss Law added that the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will partner with another internationally renowned French museum, the National Museum of Asian Arts – Guimet for the fourth edition of the Museum Summit, in late March this year. He said that Hong Kong is a melting pot of Chinese and Western cultures. Hong Kong has the advantage of strong support from the motherland and close connections to the world. The world-class arts and culture facilities, as well as the diverse arts environment, help Hong Kong to further develop its role as a cultural hub for the region and the world.
Other officiating guests included the Head of International Exhibition Projects of the Musée d’Orsay, Ms Stéphanie de Brabander; the Chairman of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Mr Michael Lee; the Chairman of the Museum Advisory Committee, Professor Douglas So; the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Ms Manda Chan; and the Museum Director of the HKMoA, Dr Maria Mok.
Renoir's use of light and shadows in his works played a pivotal role in the development of Impressionism. Cézanne's art theory, meanwhile, laid the groundwork for the development of various art styles in the 20th century, unveiling a new era in modern art. Fifty-one of 52 exhibits are debuting in Hong Kong, including still life paintings with fruits and flowers, landscapes, portraits and paintings of bathers. The exhibits serve as a testament to the remarkable artistic achievements of Cézanne and Renoir, highlighting the intersections in their careers.
Highlight exhibits include Cézanne's "Apples and Biscuits", "Still Life with Soup Tureen" and "Landscape with Red Roof (The Pine at l'Estaque)" and Renoir's "Claude Renoir in Clown Costume", "Nude in a Landscape" and "Bouquet in a Theatre Box". The exhibition also showcases two invaluable artworks, "Large Still Life" and "Large Nude with Drapery", from Spanish artist Pablo Picasso to demonstrate how the two Impressionists' innovation inspired the next generation of great masters.
The HKMoA has created an education corner that mimics a French train platform, inviting visitors to board a time-travel train and immerse themselves in the creative worlds of Cézanne and Renoir. The Hong Kong version of this exhibition also features specially designed simulated conversations between the two masters, footprint maps, and more. These elements highlight the fascinating lives and enduring friendship of these two iconic artists, allowing visitors to appreciate Cézanne and Renoir, and their art from a new perspective.
The HKMoA has also invited two Hong Kong artists, Trevor Yeung and Lai Kwan-ting, to draw inspiration from the works of the two art masters and create their own new art. In "Garden Cruising: Bathers and Watchers", an art installation with photographic works and large soft sculptures, Trevor Yeung explores the idea of the gaze associated with the depiction of nudity in the bathers painting series by Cézanne. His artwork intends to blur the distinction between the natural and the man made in this space, unsettling the audience’s understanding of their environment, activating different ways of perception. Inspired by the still life works and portraits of the two French masters, Lai Kwan-ting's installation work, "Everyday Whispers", creates figure and still-life paintings in a traditional Chinese meticulous style that captures fleeting moments in daily life, reinterpreting the styles of the 19th-century Western masters through the lens of contemporary Chinese ink painting.
The exhibition will run from January 17 to May 7 at the HKMoA (10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon). The admission fees for this exhibition are $50 for standard tickets, $35 for group tickets (groups of 20 persons or more) and $25 for full-time students, people with disabilities (and one accompanying minder), senior citizens aged 60 or above and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients. Tickets for the exhibition are available up to seven days in advance at all URBTIX outlets and self-service ticketing kiosks at the HKMoA or other designated locations (www.urbtix.hk/kiosk). Holders of Museum Passes can enjoy free admission to this exhibition. The exhibition is solely sponsored by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, presented by the LCSD, and jointly organised by the HKMoA, the Musée de l’Orangerie and the Musée d’Orsay.
To tie in with the exhibition, the HKMoA will organise a series of special programmes, including a talk series by experts and artists to enhance public understanding of Impressionism. In addition, there will be multiple sessions of theatrical tours that guide the audience on an intimate artistic journey through theatrical approach and drawing workshops.
For details of the exhibition and activities, please visit the website at hk.art.museum/en/web/ma/exhibitions-and-events/cezanne-and-renoir-looking-at-the-world.html.
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