A tribute to Impressionism and its legacy, a moving exhibition celebrating two greats of Impressionism, Paul Cézanne and Pierre-Auguste Renoir, on the 150th anniversary of the movement that was to revolutionise modern art. At Palazzo Reale, fifty-two works from the celebrated d’Orsay and l’Orangerie museums of Paris take visitors on an immersive journey to explore the lives and the works of these great masters.

From the vibrant still lifes of Cézanne to the light-flooded scenes of daily life by Renoir, the exhibition offers an ample view of their styles and preferred subjects. Portraits, landscapes and bathers flow in a kaleidoscope of colour and brushstrokes that capture the essence of ephemeral beauty.

An entire section of the exhibition is dedicated to the legacy of Cézanne and Renoir. A fascinating comparison between their works and those of Pablo Picasso, which highlights the striking influence that these two artists had on the generations that followed them, paving the way for new forms of experimentation and artistic revolution.

The vivid, voluminous and geometric motifs of Cézanne were a forerunner of the Cubism of Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso. Their techniques, such as the “broken brushstroke” or the “constructive brushstroke” tended to simplify natural forms, reducing them to their geometric foundations, foreseeing and revolutionising future artistic movements.

Curated by Cécile Girardeau, the curator of the Musée d’Orsay, and by Stefano Zuffi, art historian, the exhibition has an elegant layout that valorises every single work. A unique opportunity to enjoy a close-up study of two great artists, and to explore the history of a movement that transformed, revolutionised and overturned the course of art history.

Palazzo Reale - from 19 March to 30 June 2024