The blockbuster exhibition from the Musee D'Orsay Paris is in Canberra and worthwhile seeing, even though I had been in Paris last year and toured D'Orsay plus Le Orangerie, and Musee Picasso. This time I was seeing it through the eyes of a painter, noticing tones, colours, brushstrokes and composition. It is quite a different perspective from one who is interested in the story behind a painting. The story of the impressionist and post-impressionists is not new to me, and with the crowd being 3 deep, it was probably wiser to just focus on the painterly aspects.
There are several paintings that stand out for me.
Monet's Villas at Bordighera: Bordighera is on the Italian Riviera, just a short distance away from the border and Menton. We drove past Bordighera last year, where I mentioned the villas and gardens, to deaf ears as the driver sped past so that we would 'arrive' damnit!
This painting is less impressionistic than Monet's more famous paintings. There is harmony in the colours, with lovely shadows. It reminds me of our vacation in the Italian Riviera town of Rapallo, where the villas are not dissimilar.
Cezanne's Rocks near the caves above the Château Noir: This painting struck me as being very similar to the Australian landscape.
The boulders look Australian, and so do the trees in this painting. There are many colours to his rocks and yet the painting remains convincing.
Not in the exhibition but on display at the Australian Painting section, was this gem by Tudor St George Tucker. The shadows are beautifully done, and the light soft, as it is in the evening.
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