OVERWHELMING MOMENTS
Just somehow too much. Now why should a blog chapter on an exhibition have such a title. Bare with me as I am going to express a few personal thoughts on the matter and probably pretty intimate too.
It’s been years now since I have read about the Shchukin collection in Russia along with Morosov.
They were two Russian art collectors who stood out at the beginning of the 20th century: the cloth merchant Sergei Shchukin (1854–1936) and the textile manufacturer Ivan Morozov (1871–1921). Both acquired modern French art, developed a sensibility for spotting new trends, and publicized them in Russia.
Shchukin was among the earliest to appreciate the work of French Impressionist artists. When the French were pronouncing them insane and worthless, Shchukin boldly sought out the work of “rejected” artists. By 1904, he owned 14 Monets. Impressionist works adorned the music room of his villa in Moscow. He then turned his attention to the artists of the next generation. He wanted to introduce the latest art developments to Moscow and purchased Paul Gauguin’s South Sea pictures followed by works by Cézanne and Van Gogh.
In 1906 he met the young artist Henri Matisse, and became one of his main patrons, acquiring 37 of his best paintings over an 8-year period. Shchukin also commissioned several large-scale pictures from him that would later acquire worldwide fame. In order to come to terms with these huge canvases and their radical simplicity, Shchukin shut himself away alone with them in his « palace » for several weeks. Many of his visitors reacted with bafflement to these latest purchases. Shchukin jokingly remarked, “A madman painted it and a madman bought it.”
Shchukin and Matisse would develop more than just a commercial relationship. With Shchukin’s support and backing, Matisse was free to turn toward even greater artistic challenges and it was through Matisse that Shchukin got to know Pablo Picasso, who became the final master in his collection. At the outbreak of World War I in 1914, Shchukin owned the largest collection of Picassos in the world. 51 pictures covered the walls of an entire room, right up to the ceiling. When I knew that, I had to go further.
Ivan Morozov’s passion for art began at the same time as Shchukin’s. Initially he collected the works of the young Russian painters, but in 1907 began purchasing French art for his newly rebuilt villa. Morozov entered into competition with Shchukin. But whereas Shchukin was somewhat adventurous, Morozov collected more prudently. He focused on fewer, more select works of the highest quality.
Another day we will - I hope - be able to talk about the Morozov collection.
For me, it was important that I gave you this background. If perhaps my tastes revolve more around Picasso, my childhood is more oriented toward Matisse. Lectures, conferences and then the big moment occurs. There is to be a retrospective of Schukin’s collection at the Luis Vuitton Centre just outside of Paris. Helena and I tried - the crowds were daunting and not even an Icom card could have helped the process of a couple of hours of queuing. My second try was no better. Coincidence perhaps, but there was a conference I followed given by a historian that I go to when I can. Why was I disappointed? The collection was no doubt absolutely extraordinary but the paintings his showed of Matisse, Picasso, Gaugin, Cezanne, Degas and need I continue? I seemed to know them all. THAT is not being presumptuous. I had seen then in retrospectives - or who know’s? Perhaps they were so familiar that I didn’t feel the need to go any further.
So why should I confront queues in the cold in the hope of seeing something in reasonably good conditions? Weeks go by and then I suggest to Marielle that we brave it on a Friday morning. Friends who had seen the exhibition had queued for over an hour even with a reservation. I was not prepared to.
We went. 15 minutes later we were in. To this day I can’t think of anything that could be more than a miracle! The crowds inside didn’t daunt us and there began one of the most extraordinary visits to date.
It is, without ANY doubt, one of the most remarkable collection in Russia. In those 130 or more paintings we saw, there were perhaps 101 that I had not seen before?
Once again, I am not going to present this in a chronological order. If I have anything to criticize about this exhibition it is just that. It was poorly explained and how or where we went from gallery to gallery is still a mystery. (I have promised to return with a very close friend before the exhibition closes.)
We started with self-portraits. Of the those he knew or himself? Or the painters themselves? Schchukin was beginning to collect. Some of the portraits were totally new to me.
We move on to a series of « objects of contemplation ». That’s what we are told but the approach to art here is dominated by the conventional, decorative, narrative…and by so many of the French or European artists that we all know. Practically a history of art in the paintings we looked at from the early 20th century.
There are the Fauves - and you know how much I love them
-we discover the cubists . Picasso condenses clouds into piles of stones. There are volumes, cubes…
Then we move on to something else...
Paul Gaugin comes into the picture with his own period …his green horse…his island life….
Paul Gaugin
Maurice Denis
Picasso as a very young man
Odile Redon…
Fast move to Matisse…
Another Picasso
…
and then onto Le Douannier Rousseau
Or André Derain
Or Picasso again…
Then there was this Toulouse Lautrec which made me stop and breathe again…
and Matisse now with paintings I have never seen…
It may not surprise you, but my head was spinning
Tatline (1885-1953) - one of the Russians I really admire…
Then back to the Russians who indeed I follow….
Michel Larinonov (1881-1964)
Kazimir Malevich (1879-1935)
Alexandre Rodtechenko (1891-1956)
then a room FULL of Picasso…and so many unknown …
or back to the Russians: Lioubov Popova (1889-1924
- Natalia Gobtcharova (1881-1962) - oh yes, you have seen her before as you have seen Malevich or Rodthchenko…
Did I know Ivan Kliouine (1873-1943) - surely but by now my head was rushing around in circles
even Alexanra Exter (1882-1949) could have been someone I knew - but when I got back to base - no - I didn’t….
nor did I know Nadejda Oudaltsova (1886-1961)….
Perhaps it is not the best painting to finish with. My brain was like that painting. Squares in yellow, cut off by brown or white and a trace of black or grayish blue…
How on earth could I have accepted the « dynamic descriptions » of this conference that I had attended? I doubt if anyone could describe the enormity of this collection. It’s historic gift to European art and what art has become to day. It will take me a long moment to digest this moment, it pointed out so much that I am pursuing. Thank you Mr Shchukin and when shall we see Mr Morosov’s collection?
Not possible? Another Picasso which I knew nothing about?
They were two Russian art collectors who stood out at the beginning of the 20th century: the cloth merchant Sergei Shchukin (1854–1936) and the textile manufacturer Ivan Morozov (1871–1921). Both acquired modern French art, developed a sensibility for spotting new trends, and publicized them in Russia.
Shchukin was among the earliest to appreciate the work of French Impressionist artists. When the French were pronouncing them insane and worthless, Shchukin boldly sought out the work of “rejected” artists. By 1904, he owned 14 Monets. Impressionist works adorned the music room of his villa in Moscow. He then turned his attention to the artists of the next generation. He wanted to introduce the latest art developments to Moscow and purchased Paul Gauguin’s South Sea pictures followed by works by Cézanne and Van Gogh.
In 1906 he met the young artist Henri Matisse, and became one of his main patrons, acquiring 37 of his best paintings over an 8-year period. Shchukin also commissioned several large-scale pictures from him that would later acquire worldwide fame. In order to come to terms with these huge canvases and their radical simplicity, Shchukin shut himself away alone with them in his « palace » for several weeks. Many of his visitors reacted with bafflement to these latest purchases. Shchukin jokingly remarked, “A madman painted it and a madman bought it.”
Shchukin and Matisse would develop more than just a commercial relationship. With Shchukin’s support and backing, Matisse was free to turn toward even greater artistic challenges and it was through Matisse that Shchukin got to know Pablo Picasso, who became the final master in his collection. At the outbreak of World War I in 1914, Shchukin owned the largest collection of Picassos in the world. 51 pictures covered the walls of an entire room, right up to the ceiling. When I knew that, I had to go further.
Ivan Morozov’s passion for art began at the same time as Shchukin’s. Initially he collected the works of the young Russian painters, but in 1907 began purchasing French art for his newly rebuilt villa. Morozov entered into competition with Shchukin. But whereas Shchukin was somewhat adventurous, Morozov collected more prudently. He focused on fewer, more select works of the highest quality.
Another day we will - I hope - be able to talk about the Morozov collection.
For me, it was important that I gave you this background. If perhaps my tastes revolve more around Picasso, my childhood is more oriented toward Matisse. Lectures, conferences and then the big moment occurs. There is to be a retrospective of Schukin’s collection at the Luis Vuitton Centre just outside of Paris. Helena and I tried - the crowds were daunting and not even an Icom card could have helped the process of a couple of hours of queuing. My second try was no better. Coincidence perhaps, but there was a conference I followed given by a historian that I go to when I can. Why was I disappointed? The collection was no doubt absolutely extraordinary but the paintings his showed of Matisse, Picasso, Gaugin, Cezanne, Degas and need I continue? I seemed to know them all. THAT is not being presumptuous. I had seen then in retrospectives - or who know’s? Perhaps they were so familiar that I didn’t feel the need to go any further.
So why should I confront queues in the cold in the hope of seeing something in reasonably good conditions? Weeks go by and then I suggest to Marielle that we brave it on a Friday morning. Friends who had seen the exhibition had queued for over an hour even with a reservation. I was not prepared to.
We went. 15 minutes later we were in. To this day I can’t think of anything that could be more than a miracle! The crowds inside didn’t daunt us and there began one of the most extraordinary visits to date.
It is, without ANY doubt, one of the most remarkable collection in Russia. In those 130 or more paintings we saw, there were perhaps 101 that I had not seen before?
Once again, I am not going to present this in a chronological order. If I have anything to criticize about this exhibition it is just that. It was poorly explained and how or where we went from gallery to gallery is still a mystery. (I have promised to return with a very close friend before the exhibition closes.)
We started with self-portraits. Of the those he knew or himself? Or the painters themselves? Schchukin was beginning to collect. Some of the portraits were totally new to me.
 |
| André Derain (1880-1954 : Portrait of a Man with a newspaper -1912-14 |
 |
| Xan Krohn (1862-1959) Shchukin 1916 |
 |
| Picasso (1881-1973) Portrait of Soler |
 |
| Self Portrait Paul Cezanne (1839-1906) 1882 |
 |
| Self portrait Paul Gaugin (1846-1903) 1888 or 1893/4 |
We move on to a series of « objects of contemplation ». That’s what we are told but the approach to art here is dominated by the conventional, decorative, narrative…and by so many of the French or European artists that we all know. Practically a history of art in the paintings we looked at from the early 20th century.
 |
| Pierre Puvis de Chavannes (1824-1898) Study for the Poor Fisherman - 1879 |
 |
| Gustave Courbet (1819-1877) Chalet in the Mountains - 1874 |
 |
| Eouard Vuillard (1868-1940) In a Room - 1899 |
 |
| Picasso -"Les Baigneurs" 1908 |
 |
| Camille Pissarro (1830-1903) Place du Theatre-Francais - Spring : 1898 |
 |
| Sir Frank William Brangwyn (1876-1956) The Market: 1893 |
 |
| Le Douanier Rousseau (1844-1910) View of the Pont-Sevres...1908 |
 |
| Claude Monet (1840-1926) Woman in the Garden -1867 |
 |
| Claude Monet - Luncheon on the Grass - 1866 |
 |
| Claude Monet - Cliffs at Etretat - 1886 |
 |
| Henri Moret (1856-1913) Port Manec'h - 1886 |
 |
| Rousseau - View of the Montsouris Park -1909/10 |
 | ||
| Rousseau Struggle between Tiger and Bull - 1909 |
 |
| Henri Matisse (1886-1954) Luxembourg Gardens 1901 |
There are the Fauves - and you know how much I love them
 |
| André Derain - Port - 1905 |
 |
| Henri Matisse - View of Collioure - 1905 |
 |
| Armand Guillaum 1841-1927 - Landscape with Ruins 1897 |
-we discover the cubists . Picasso condenses clouds into piles of stones. There are volumes, cubes…
 |
| Picasso - House in the Garden - 1908 |
 |
| Picasso - Brick Factory at Tortosa - 1909 |
 |
| House in a Garden - 1908 |
 |
| André Derain Ancient Quarter in Cagnes - 1910 |
 |
| Man with his Arms Crossed -1909 : Isn't it marvelous? |
Then we move on to something else...
 |
| André Derain - Grove 1912 |
 |
| Henri Matisse - Bois de Boulogne - 1902 |
Paul Gaugin comes into the picture with his own period …his green horse…his island life….
 |
| Paul Gaugin (188-1903) The Ford (The Flight) 1901 |
Paul Gaugin
 |
 |
| Gaugin - Man picking fruit from a Tree - 1897 |
 |
| Gaugin - Landscape (A Horse on a Road, Tahiti) 1889 |
 |
| Gaugin - Her name was Vaïraumati - 1892 |
Maurice Denis
 |
| Marthe Denis - Portrait of the Artist's wife - 1893 |
 |
| The Meeting - 1900 : he was 19 |
Picasso as a very young man
 |
| Woman Sleeping under a Tree -1900-01 |
Odile Redon…
Fast move to Matisse…
 |
| Woman in Green - 1909 |
Another Picasso
 |
| Woman with a Fan - 1909 |
 |
| The Poet and His Muse - 1909 |
and then onto Le Douannier Rousseau
 |
| Girl in Black - 1913 |
Or André Derain
Or Picasso again…
 |
| Woman of Majorca - 1905 |
 |
| Lautrec (1864-1901) Woman at a Window - 1889 |
Then there was this Toulouse Lautrec which made me stop and breathe again…
and Matisse now with paintings I have never seen…
 |
| The Studio 1912 |
 |
| The Blue Vase 1912 |
 |
| Moroccan - 1912 |
 |
| Still life with Blue Tablecloth - 1909 |
 |
| Woman on a High Stool - 1914 |
 |
| Nude - Black and Gold 1908 |
 |
| Nymph and Satyr - 1908 |
 |
| Goldfish - 1912 |
It may not surprise you, but my head was spinning
 |
| Nude Model - 1913 |
Tatline (1885-1953) - one of the Russians I really admire…
Then back to the Russians who indeed I follow….
Michel Larinonov (1881-1964)
 |
| Spring Seasons - 1912 |
 |
| Bather - 1911 |
Kazimir Malevich (1879-1935)
 |
| Construction on White - 1920 |
Alexandre Rodtechenko (1891-1956)
then a room FULL of Picasso…and so many unknown …
 |
| Absinthe Drinker (1901) . I can't believe that she too belonged to his collection |
 |
| Friendship study |
 |
| Friendship study - winter 1907-08 |
 |
| Dryad - 1908 |
 |
| Woman with a Fan - 1908 |
 |
| Nude Boy - 1906 |
 |
| Boy with a Dog 1904-05 |
 |
| Farm Woman (Half Length) 1908 |
or back to the Russians: Lioubov Popova (1889-1924
 |
| Painterly Architectonic - 191 |
- Natalia Gobtcharova (1881-1962) - oh yes, you have seen her before as you have seen Malevich or Rodthchenko…
 |
| Malevitch - Woman with Pails - 1912-13 |
 |
| Gontcharova - Peasants Picking Apples - 1911 |
 |
| Malevitch - Peasant woman with Buckets and a Child - 1912 |
 |
| Malevitch - A Non-Stopping Station - 1913 |
 |
| Tatline - Material Assortment - 1916 |
 |
| Musician - 1916 |
Did I know Ivan Kliouine (1873-1943) - surely but by now my head was rushing around in circles
 |
| Alexandra - Exter -Florence - 1914-15 |
even Alexanra Exter (1882-1949) could have been someone I knew - but when I got back to base - no - I didn’t….
nor did I know Nadejda Oudaltsova (1886-1961)….
 |
| Yellow Jug - 1913-14 (I thought it was a Picasso) |
Perhaps it is not the best painting to finish with. My brain was like that painting. Squares in yellow, cut off by brown or white and a trace of black or grayish blue…
 |
| Lioubov Popova - Architectonics of Painting - 1918 |
How on earth could I have accepted the « dynamic descriptions » of this conference that I had attended? I doubt if anyone could describe the enormity of this collection. It’s historic gift to European art and what art has become to day. It will take me a long moment to digest this moment, it pointed out so much that I am pursuing. Thank you Mr Shchukin and when shall we see Mr Morosov’s collection?
Not possible? Another Picasso which I knew nothing about?
 |
| Picasso - Composition with a Sliced Pear - 1914 To finish - I gazed at this statue - but couldn't find a sculpter for it. Rodin? I don't think so...  Perhaps I could add, that there are under 80 photographs here so just a little over half of his collection on display... |
Commentaires