André Derain, Young lady peeling an apple, 1838-39, Knox Art Gallery

There seems to be a new trend in Paris of exhibiting painters of the same generation and making them be friends. This winter at Musée Marmottan, the beautiful Hodler, Munch and Monet show, recently at the Louvre, Vermeer and his contemporaries, and today at Musée d’Art moderne de la Ville de Paris, Derain, Balthus, Giacometti. The paintings are fabulous but do we need to have three apple peelers hanging together to be impressed?

Balthus, The King of cats, 1935

It is always exciting to discover a new show avenue du Président Wilson, for the architecture of the galleries, the professionalism of the scenography and the quality of the collection, garanty a level of excellence. And this seemed to be Setzuko Klossowska’s feeling when I ran into her at the opening. Balthus’s widow, an artist herself, could be proud of the multiple chefs d’œuvres shown here.

Balthus, Illustration for Wuthering Heights, 1932-35, ink on paper series of 14 drawings

From « Les Beaux Jours », a beautiful young girl looking at herself in a mirror by the fireplace to his dark and sensuous ink on paper illustrations for “Wuthering Heights” or his self portrait as « King of cats » and Pierre Colle’s dark portrait, Balthus Is proving here once again his genius.

Setsuko Klossowska de Rola, Countess Balthus visiting the show with Derain, “Decor for the Barbier de Séville”, 1953, in the back

With Derain, I was surprised that none of the paintings had come from the largest Derain collection in the world, assembled by Pierre et Denise Lévy, in the Troyes museum. I was there recently and was almost overdosed by the hundreds of paintings… Yet his « Joueur de Cornemuse » (Bag piper) came from Minneapolis and is very intriguing, his portraits of Carmen Baron and of his niece, in the society room fo the show,  are beautiful.

Alberto Giacometti,  “Lake Sils”, 1921-22

Giacometti has many sculptures including a rare « Woman walking » in bronze and paintings mostly in black and greys but one of « Lake Sils » in Switzerland is colorful and charming.

André Derain, Portrait of Carmen Baron, 1944

Many paintings come from private collections and this trio of painters, who probably met at Balthus’s first exhibition at Pierre Loeb gallery in Paris in 1930, is very well represented here with over 350 pieces. (until October 29, Musée d’Art moderne de la Ville de Paris)