Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cezanne and Beyond: Post-Impressionist Masterpieces from the Musée D'Orsay

by Guy Cogeval, Sylvie Patry, Stéphane Guégan

In this book beloved examples of Post-
Impressionism from one of the world s premier
art museums provide a splendid overview of
innovations ushered in by the popular
movement. Representing a pivotal moment in the history of European art,
the Post-Impressionists created some of the most
recognizable and stylistically inventive paintings of the
modern era. Published to accompany a major exhibition, this
book presents over one hundred celebrated paintings from the
unparalleled collection of Paris s Musée d Orsay. Focusing on
the decades around 1900, this publication presents late
Impressionist landmarks by Monet and Renoir; early modern
masterpieces by Cézanne, Gauguin, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Van
Gogh; and avant-garde canvases by the Nabis painters Denis,
Bonnard, and Vuillard. The volume also provides a unique look
at the Musée d Orsay s outstanding collection of Pointillism,
including works by artists such as Seurat and Signac. Together
these works offer a fresh assessment of seismic transitions in
the European art world at the turn of the twentieth century
that ushered in the birth of modern painting and produced
lasting treasures of its own.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

256 pages, Hardcover

First published July 28, 2010

Reviews

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m so glad I read this when I’d visited the exhibition once and still have 3 more visits to make. I don’t use the audio tours so reading the extra material in this book makes the exhibition so much more interesting. With the first Musée D’Orsay exhibit, The Birth of Impressionism (and its good book!) I took one docent tour, but I won’t have a chance to do that for this exhibition.

Unlike the other book, Birth of Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Musée D'Orsay, I loved the cover of this book, front and back covers. The art is shown just as beautifully. There are some truly special paintings included in this book. I’d have wanted this exhibition catalog for the art alone.

Maybe it was my mood or interest level at the time, but the essays didn’t hold my attention quite as successfully in this book, but reading them will help me appreciate the art and artists even more.

Contents:

Preface: Nicolas Sarkozy
Sponsor Statement: Janet Lamkin
Forward: John E. Buchanan, Jr. and Guy Cogeval
The Musée D’Orsay: Looking Forward: Guy Cogeval and Stéphane Guégan
Introduction: Stéphane Guégan

Part 1: Beyond Impressionism: Guy Cogeval

1886: A Pivotal Year: Sylvie Patry

Cézanne: A Case Study: Sylvie Patry

Toulous-Lautrec: High and Low in Montmartre: Stéphane Guégan

Neo-Impressionism: A Methodical Utopia: Stéphane Guégan

Part 2: Van Gogh and Gauguin: The Resurrection of Delacroix?: Stéphane Guégan

The Pont-Aven School: From Legend to Legacy: Stéphane Guégan

Part 3: The Nabis and Symbolism in 1890s Paris: Sylvie Patry

Symbolist and Nabi Intimsme: Sylvie Patry

Le Douanier Rousseau: War and Peace: Stéphane Guégan

The Great Art We Call Decorative: Sylvie Patry

Suggested Further Reading
Catalogue of the Exhibition
Index of Names and Artworks

This really is an outstanding book for those using it as an adjunct to the exhibition, those who love paintings by the featured artists, and those interested in art history and/or history from this period and place.

[Clara Liang · Rating 5 out of 5]

i loved especially the fallen man with the horse.