It includes works of art by Vincent van Gogh, Cézanne, Gauguin and Seurat…

A visit to the Louvre Abu Dhabi never disappoints. And now, the museum is inviting you to its all-new temporary exhibit – Post-Impressionism: Beyond Appearances.

Open to all visitors on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, the new exhibition has been curated with loans from the Musée d’Orsay in Paris and other popular museums in France. So, if you can’t make it to Paree, head to the art museum on Saadiyat Island for a sneak peek of some of France’s masterpieces.

The exhibition focuses on works from 1886 and 1905. It follows the success of the previous exhibition ‘Pathways to Modernity’ which had artworks from other famous artists such as Manet, Degas, Monet, Pissarro, Renoir, and Cézanne.

What is Post-Impressionism? It is an art movement predominantly starting in France. Artists continued using the same vivid colours and thick application of paint (from the Impressionism era), but broke down the subject matter into basic shapes. In short, the painters painted what one would see if they saw a subject at a fleeting glance.

A Van Gogh in the capital

Vincent Van Gogh - The Bedroom - Abu Dhabi Louvre loan

Above: Vincent Van Gogh, The Bedroom, 1889. Oil on canvas, 57.3 x 73.5 cm, Paris Musée d’Orsay. Photo © RMN-Grand Palais (musée d’Orsay) / Hervé Lewandowski

The exhibition was announced in May 2024 highlighting one of the most important Post-Impressionism artists, Vincent Van Gogh. And no exhibition of this art movement would be complete without displaying his work.

One of his masterpieces on display is The Bedroom (1889). It depicts Van Gogh’s bedroom in the ‘Yellow House’ in Arles, France, which he also used as his studio. Van Gogh painted three versions of The Bedroom, and this one from the Musée d’Orsay is the smallest of the three. Two other of his paintings will be displayed alongside this one, Noon: Rest from Work (a personal favourite) and The Restaurant de la Sirène at Asnières. 

Besides Van Gogh, you will also spot stunning artworks by Paul Gauguin – a close friend of Van Gogh, who lived with him for a short period in the Yellow House in Arles. On display is his bright autumnal-coloured Les Alyscamp which he most likely painted in the house in Arles.

As you make your way through the unique circular designed space, you will spot works by French painter Paul Cézanne – the father of Post-Impressionism. One of the eye-catching masterpieces you will see is Portrait of Gustave Geffroy (1895).

Also on display from the Arab world are two huge paintings by Egyptian artist Georges Hanna Sabbagh: The Artist and his Family at La Clarté (1920) and The Family; The Sabbagh in Paris (1921).

Tickets to the exhibition can be booked here.

Remember, you only have four months to see this exhibition.

And before we forget…

leonardo da vinci Saint John the baptist

if you are a Leonardo da Vinci fan and haven’t yet made your way to see Saint John the Baptist, now’s the time. The renowned masterpiece set up a temporary home at the Louvre Abu Dhabi in November 2022. It was displayed in the museum’s permanent collection but will be heading back home in November 2024, so you don’t want to miss it.

Learn more here or call the Louvre Abu Dhabi team on 600 565566 for more information.

Louvre Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, from Oct 16, 2024 to February 9, 2025, Dhs60, Tel: (600) 565 566, louvreabudhabi.ae

Images: Supplied by Louvre Abu Dhabi and Département des Arts de l’Islam