Black Models: From Gericault to Matisse, Exhibition, Musee d'Orsay, Paris: 26 March 2019 - 14 July 2019

This is archived material. It is for reference purposes only.

Originally staged in New York, the ‘Black Models: From Gericault to Matisse’ exhibition heads to the Musee d’Orsay in Paris. The display seeks to analyse the history of ideas, specifically those related to society, politics and race, by navigating the history of art from Romanticism to Contemporary.

The ‘Black Models’ exhibition at the Musee d’Orsay is not an exhibition of an artist, but ultimately an exhibition of evolution as it records the transformation of human ideas and and their influence on art. It charters the choppy waters of black history in France from the abolition of slavery in 1794 to the modern day. It does so by navigating the history of art from the Romantic paintings of Géricault, to post-war and contemporary art; via the new painting era of Fauvist artist, Matisse. By examining the entwining of visual art and the black muse under a glaring spotlight, the display tackles the topics of politics, aesthetics, society and race head on. As the title suggests, the display is also intrigued by the term ‘model’ and the relationship between the artist who depicts and the subject who sits.

The long-term, historical perspective on the black muse provides the exhibition with an engaging multi-era and a multi-disciplinary diversity. The vast range of displayed artists include: Théodore Géricault, Charles Cordier, Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, Edouard Manet, Paul Cézanne and Henri Matisse, as well as the photographs of Nadar and Carjat. The contrasting styles adopted by such artists is best illustrated by the entitled French artists Géricault and Matisse.

Géricault (1791-1924) was a political painter who often portrayed historical themes with a photographic realism and often dramatic composition. Contrastingly, Matisse’s (1869-1954) art was “devoid of troubling or depressing subject matter”, which is reflected in his use of vibrant, unmodulated colours. He is also known for his pattern-based configurations, with this modern, interpretive style directly contradicting Géricault’s Romanticism. 

Musee d’Orsay

Musee d’Orsay, 1 rue de la Legion d'Honneur, 75007 Paris

Edouard Manet, Olympia, 1863, Paris, Musée d'Orsay, offered to the French State by public subscription initiated by Claude Monet, 1890, ©RMN, Hervé Lewandowski
Edouard Manet, Olympia, 1863, Paris, Musée d'Orsay, offered to the French State by public subscription initiated by Claude Monet, 1890, ©RMN, Hervé Lewandowski

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