Claude Monet, Chrysanthèmes rouges, 1880, private collection

The new exhibition at Musée Marmottan Monet is a pure delight of Impressionist to Fauve paintings. The sixty two chefs d’oeuvre have been borrowed from private collections in Europe, the United States and Mexico and Monet’s “Red Chrysanthemums”, one of his rare still life painting, had never been seen in public since 1882, just before his fellow painter Gustave Caillebotte acquired it. All these works are exceptional and a series of five drawings of Gare Saint Lazare by Paul Signac are especially interesting.

Mariane Mathieu, deputy director of Marmottan, explains how major this “Pont de l’Europe” by Caillebotte is.

The first room is lined with four Monet and a Renoir: with “Les Pyramides de Port-Coton” by Monet, an exceptional sea view, with white waves, the tone is set. This is the highest quality of paintings and finding them in private houses and convincing their owners of lending them, must have been a tough job. Two beautiful Vuillard come from the Perez Simon collection in Mexico. Two Matisse paintings of Belle-île-en-mer hung together  are so different in style that they are fascinating.

Henri Matisse, Côte sauvage, Belle-île-en-Mer, 1896

The largest Caillebotte left in private hands, “Le Pont de l’Europe”, near Gare Saint Lazare, is very stricking with its perspective and details of day to day life. An almost abstract Van Gogh, “Les Lauriers roses, le jardin à l’hôpital à Saint -Rémy”, 1889 is an incredibly moving watercolor and pencil on paper.

Vincent Van Gogh, “Pink laurels. The garden in St Rémy’s hospital”, May-June 1889

An exceptional Toulouse Lautrec of “La Blanchisseuse”, an Emile Bernard  of the cliffs in Yport, and “Castellane” by Paul Signac, are all hanging together with their contrasts and uniqueness. They have one thing in common, the light.

Henri de Toulouse Lautrec, La Blanchisseuse, ca 1886-1887, Onyx art collection

Raoul Van Dongen and Dufy end this fireworks of 1900’s and a painting by Vuillard of “107 avenue Henri Martin” depicting Mr and Mrs Josse and Gaston Bernheim Jeune, sum up the relationship that all artists had with this famous galerist whose heirs lent a few paintings to the show.

Claude Monet, Les galettes, 1882

The museum devoted to Monet is not very large so expect to find some lines unless you rush immediately to see this charming show. Until February 10, 2019 at Musée Marmottan Monet.

Theo Van Rysselberghe, La Régate, 1892