The “UNE AVANT-GARDE EUROPEENNE” Exhibition Kicks Off

This year marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France. Hunan Provincial Museum, in collaboration with Hunan’s Tan Guobin Contemporary Art Museum and Unterlinden Museum (France), launched the exhibition “UNE AVANT-GARDE EUROPEENNE: the appreciation of the 20th century collections from Unterlinden Museum” at Tan Guobin Contemporary Art Museum. It will provide an excellent opportunity for citizens in Changsha to view the stunning original works created by world renowned masters, such as Picasso and Rodin.

As one of the most visited museums in France, Unterlinden Museum boasts of the best modern art collections. With the selection of 24 works created by 22 avant-garde artists, the museum will hold the tour exhibition in Kunming, Changsha and Wuhan, which is the first of its kind in the diplomatic history between China and France. The 24 paintings, with a time span of nearly a century, will together present a grand picture of the evolution of European avant-garde art. All of these works are the great treasures of the world, including those created by famous masters of modern art like Rodin, Picasso and Dubuffet, as well as works created by the Vasarely (the father of Optical Art) and Léger (the representative of Cubism). With abstract images and bright colors, these works bring about great visual shock. They demonstrate the observation and philosophy of the artists about life and the expression of their feelings. They lead to the birth and development of the avant-garde awareness in the 20th century Europe. In addition, they reflect the development paths taken by the Western art in the 20th century.

In cooperation with Unterlinden Museum (France) to build a bridge for the cultural exchange between China and France, Hunan Provincial Museum offered citizens in Hunan the chance to view the colorful works produced by the European Avant-garde painters and sculptors in the 20th century. This exhibition will run from September 29, 2014 to November 5, 2014 (it is closed on Mondays) at Tan Guobin Contemporary Art Museum on the fifth floor of Xiangjiang Yihao (Xiang River NO. 1) (the intersection of Xiangjiang North Road and Chuangyuan Road, Kaifu District, Changsha). The exhibition is free of charge.

The Introduction to the Important Works
　　
1. Pablo Picasso: “Portrait of a Sitting Woman”

In this painting, Jacqueline (wife of Picasso) acted as the model. It was completed one year before their marriage. With great artistic value, this is one of the representative works of the school of Cubist art. The vivid depiction of the face of Jacqueline occupies almost the equal space of her upper body. With skilled brushwork, Picasso represented her hair and the profile of her face well. Due to the contrast of the lines, shapes and colors as well as the employment of the cutting technique in Cubism, the hair and the face demonstrate great force. The curve of the neck, the broad shoulder and chest, the white skin, and the nude contrasted sharply with the stiff armchair and the color of dark green. Demonstrating great strength and sensuality, this painting is regarded as a challenge towards the era. The ultimate expression of the free art by Picasso is also revealed in this painting.

2. Auguste Rodin: “The Desperate Young Man”

By employing the realistic techniques, Rodin represented a young man, who was trying to look up into the sky, immersed completely in a feeling of abject misery. The anatomical structure is well depicted. The muscles and the ribs are vividly painted. Due to the absence of the arms and legs in the sculpture, the viewers would naturally focus their attention on the body of this young man, feeling the great pain that he was suffering. One could not identify the face of the young man as it has been greatly distorted due to the agony. From this point, we can also draw the conclusion that this sufferer does not refer to any specific person, but may be a representative of all the people as this sculpture expresses a certain degree of universality.