Paul Signac, The harbor at Sunset, Opus 236 (Saint Tropez), 1892, Hasso Plattner Collection

The theme, “Facing the sun” could sound a little common for an exhibition at Musée Marmottan Monet but when you learn that this new show is celebrating the 150 th anniversary of Monet’s iconic painting, “Impressions, Sunrise” painted from his little hotel room in le Havre on November 13, 1872, it suddenly makes sense. And it is an occasion to show a number of chefs d’oeuvre which were lent by 53 private collectors and museums. My favorite is the mysterious Caspar David Friedrich‘s “Easter Morning” and Carlo Saraceni‘s three paintings of “Icarus’ flight”. But Antonio Cicognara’s medieval tarot cards are fabulous, Charles de la Fosse’s “Sunrise”, Courbet, Boudin, Pissarro, Turner, Derain’s multicolored  “Big Ben” and Otto Dix fascinating black and white “Sunrise” are superb.  The Barberini museum in Potsdam is co-curating the show. There are also a few contemporary painters and I met the charming Franco American painter Vicky Colombet while her painting “Rising Sun” was being hung.

Otto Dix, Sunrise, 1913, Dresden, Städtische Galerie, Kunstsammlung Museen der Stadt Dresden

Inspired by Van Gogh, who was exhibited in Dresden in 1912,  Otto Dix’ “Sunrise” is almost entirely black and white and is very dark like many of the painters’ visions. In contrast, Maurice Denis’ “Saint Francis of Assisi receiving the stigmata” is all lights, Felix Vallotton‘s “Sunset” is orange and purple while Edvard Munch’s “The Sun” is electrical and dazzling. Danish painter Laurits Tuxen, paints the sea and sky in pink, for a sunset which probably takes place at midnight?

Laurits Tuxen, “Sunset in Højen”, study, 1909, Skagen Art Museum

It is a little difficult to focus on the theme of the exhibition because the different masterpieces are so different, but it is interesting to see the evolution of the cult of the sun over the centuries. Lousi XIV th’ obsession is well illustrated by Sébastien Leclerc‘s print of the king’s visit to the Académie des Sciences and by Henri de Gissey‘s watercolor and ink drawing of Apollo King. In the entrance of the show, Helios figures on a Greek vase, and throughout we see photographs of an eclipse in 1869 in Burlington Iowa and of a pastel of another one in 1878 by Etienne Leopold Trouvelot. Signac’s palette of paints is also an interesting addition.

The level of lighting on Monet’s chef d’oeuvre “Impressions, Sunrise” is being checked during our visit

As always, visiting the Marmottan Monet museum is a charming experience and can be continued by a walk through the Ranelagh gardens. The number and the variety of excellent paintings presented in the show is exciting and the visit of Monet’s waterlilies downstairs is of course a must.

André Derain, “Big Ben London”, 1906, Troyes, Musée d’Art Moderne, collection nationale Pierre et Denise Lévy

Until January 23, at Marmottan Monet museum.

Musée Marmottan Monet until January 29

Paul Signac, The harbor at Sunset, Opus 236 (Saint Tropez), 1892, Hasso Plattner Collection