Many people are attracted to colorful sensual paintings, from still life to landscapes. They remind us of places in the city where we have walked and remind us of a brief instance in our lives. In particular, brush strokes and simple background colors of a painting leave strong impressions on a viewer, instead of describing reality as it is. SMT visited an exhibition of impressionists’ work, a beloved time in the history of art. The exhibition <Monet to Cézanne: Impressionist and Post-Impressionist Masterworks from The Israel Museum, Jerusalem> is one display at Seoul Arts Center.
Fleeting Moments
Monet, Cezanne, Renoir, Gauguin, and Gogh... You probably heard of these painters and perhaps even some of their masterpieces come to mind hearing their names. Impressionism, a period that last from 1863 to the 1890s, saw the popularity of painting in France in the late 19th century, and it is known as the beginning of modern art. The exhibition features works by impressionist artists such as Claude Monet and Auguste Renoir. A total of 106 paintings selected by the Israel Museum of Jerusalem are on display, including works by post-Impressionist artists such as Paul Cezanne, Paul Gauguin, and Vincent Van Gogh, each of whom were influenced by impressionism.
The <Monet to Cézanne: Impressionist and Post-Impressionist Masterworks from The Israel Museum, Jerusalem> exhibition is being held on the third floor of the Hangaram Art Museum at the Seoul Arts Center in Seocho-gu, Seoul. To get to Seoul Arts Center from Sookmyung Women's University, walk or take the number 400 bus from the main gate of the school and get off at the bus stop in front of Hyochang Park. From here take Bus 740. After 10 stops, approximately 25 minutes, get off at Exit 1 of Seocho Station and walk straight for about three minutes to the Seocho Bus 11 stop, which is near Exit 3 of Seocho Station. Ride that bus and get off at the Seoul Arts Center stop. The total travel time is about 43 minutes. Tickets for the exhibition are available at the Center.
Sensation and Impression
<Monet to Cézanne: Impressionist and Post-Impressionist Masterworks from The Israel Museum, Jerusalem> features 106 famous paintings guaranteed to inspire you. All the painting are from Jerusalem and are said to have been painted from a Jewish point of view, not a European perspective. Among them, Pond with Water Lilies, 1907 is one of a series of training films about Claude Monet’s masterpieces being released in Korea at the same time as this exhibition. The exhibition provides a docent on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 10:30 p.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m., and 10:30 p.m. and at 1 p.m. on Saturdays.
The exhibition has a total of five sections. The sections are not grouped by individual artist or by era, but by subject. The first section is titled Waterscape and Reflection. It presents paintings of water reflection in landscapes such as oceans, rivers, and lakes. For example, Paul Sinak’s work, namely The Tugboat, Canal in Sarmois, 1901 and Frigates Approaching the Port, 1894 of Eugène Louis Boudin and Paul Cezanne’s Country House by a River, 1890 are featured in this section. Closely observing the works, onlookers will discover that it is hard to view them close up, but they are as clear as day from a distance. In the second section that is entitled Nature and Figural Landscape, works such as Camille Pissarro’s Sunset at Eragny, 1890 are on display. This particular piece allows viewers to feel free and relaxed as it is a rural landscape painting. The third section is entitled Cityscapes. Many impressionist painters focused on a certain theme that often came from daily life and the things in the city around them such as theaters, dance halls, and cafés. Work in this section includes Notre-Dame de Paris, View from Montebello Quay, 1897 by Maximilien Luce and Edgar Degas’ Studio Interior with "The Steeplechase”, 1880. Lesser Ury’s Potsdam Square by Night, 1920s is also a must-see, and onlookers, upon glaring directly at it, will feel as though they are walking on the streets of Potsdam Square in Berlin at the time of the painting. Paintings are not as accurate as photographs, but it leave the viewer with more than merely a picture. Next, the fourth section is titled Still Life. Impressionists painted still life to challenge tradition and present and express an outline of objects. Works such as Auguste Renoir’s Roses in a Vase, 1880 are presented in this section. Finally, the fifth section is People on Portraits. Impressionist painters clearly captured an individual’s appearance and posture at the particular instance that they painted their portrait. This section includes works such as Woman in a Flowered Hat, 1889 by Auguste Renoir and Misia in a Chaise Lounge, 1900 by Édouard Vuillard. The exhibition features various themed painting from a variety of renowned impressionists works that is unfamiliar themes, SMT reporters gained more knowledge of impressionism and also gained a sense of relaxation at the exhibition.
Ratings : ★★★★★
The exhibition provides Art Center visitors with a chance to encounter a variety of work by renowned impressionists from Jerusalem. Most Sookmyungians will think of the more globally famous work by Monet and Renoir when they think of Impressionism, but the exhibition extends this narrow level of knowledge by giving visitors access to other work and other perspectives. This reporter's favorite piece was Lesser Ury’s Potsdam Square by Night, 1920s. Observing this piece, and others, will inspire differing impressions and feelings depending on the angle and distance from which one views the artwork. This particular painting touched the reporter greatly. This SMT reporter recommends also dropping by the souvenir shops at the end of the exhibition visit. It sells books, files, postcards, and various other items such as cups. A trip to this exhibition will enable Sookmyungians to relax and cultivate their minds.
