City of Light

Paris

Maximilien Luce, Die Seine bei der Pont-Michel, 1900, Öl auf Leinwand, 89,2 × 116,2 cm, Hasso Plattner Collection, Museum Barberini, Potsdam
Paul Signac, Frau beim Richten der Haare, Opus 227 (Arabesken für ein Ankleidezimmer) Opus 227 (Arabesques for a Dressing Room), 1892, Öl auf Leinwand 259 × 70 cm, Privatsammlung
Louis Anquetin, Das Interieur bei Bruant. Das Mirliton, 1886/87, Öl auf Leinwand, 145 × 157 cm, Privatsammlung

18. 11. 2028 — 18. 3. 2029

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The exhibition Paris: City of Light is the first major show to explore the French capital as a central subject of painting, photography, and printmaking during the Belle Époque
(1871–1914).

At its heart are the diverse ways in which artists responded to the profound transformation of the modern metropolis and the accompanying emergence of a new entertainment and consumer culture. A rich panorama of the arts around 1900 forms the core of the curatorial narrative, complemented by carefully selected works of modern and contemporary art that reflect the enduring cliché of Paris as the »City of Light« and »City of Love«.

Thematically, the exhibition's focus lies on light-filled views of the French capital, depictions of the vibrant nightlife around the entertainment district of Montmartre, the transgressive lifestyle of the Parisian bohème, new representations of the emancipated woman, and the golden age of advertisement and poster art – particularly in the wider orbit of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and the legendary Moulin Rouge. Guest curator of the exhibition is the internationally renowned art-historian and former Scientific Director of the Musée des impressionnisme Giverny, Marina Ferretti.

An exhibition by the Museum Frieder Burda, Baden-Baden, and the Museum Barberini, Potsdam.