Master Paintings on Display

Musee d'Orsay puts on exhibit 44 master work of Manet, Cezanne and Renoir and others in Seoul

Musee d'Orsay, one of the most popular art museums in France, brought 44 pieces of its 75,000 art works in possession at the museum to Seoul and they are being exhibited at Hankaram Art Hall of Seoul Arts Center from April 21 to Sept. 2.
The 44 master pieces of Western painting include works of such master painters as Manet, Cezanne, Degas, Gauguin, Millet, Monet, Pissarro and Renoir, among others. The art pieces are insured for 800 billion won, which speaks for the precious value of those art pieces. This is the first time that such a large number of European painting master pieces are exhibited in Seoul, overwhelming the local art lovers hungry for a chance to view such master works in Seoul. The great artistic event is being supervised by the French Embassy in Seoul and GNC Media and sponsored by the SBS and Musee d'Orsay.
Serge Lemoine, director of the French art museum, met with reporters at Seoul Arts Center just before the opening of the exhibition.
Question: What is the significance of the exhibition and its special features?
Answer: The event is designed to show some of the outstanding art pieces at the Musee d'Orsay in Seoul, 44 pieces of paintings and 30 photographs. Those art pieces display important artistic trends from 1848 to 1914. From Millet's L'Angelus, representing realism, works of the period in which expressionism was in embryonic stage such as pieces by Manet and Degas, works of Monet and Renoir symbolic ones for the peak stages of expressionism and art pieces of Gauguin, Gough, and Cezanne, representing post-expressionism in what is a panorama of Western paintings.
Q: How about the art pieces in possession of Musee d'Orsay?
A: The museum has some 75,000 art pieces, although it is only 20 years old. It took possession of many great art pieces from other prestigious art museums such as Louvre and the number is growing still. They are made of paintings, photographs and sculptures - all genres of art.
Q: Can you introduce Millet'a L'Angelus to us?
A: It is the top painting in the 19th century. The painter expressed the scene in an attractive image. The biggest credit is it described forms and light in short and a simple manner.
Following is an interview with President Hong Song-il of Global Network of Culture(GNC) Media.
The current exhibition is the second one in 7 years, displaying art pieces from Musee d'Arsay. Compared to the first event, the current one has more artwork and outstanding work pieces on display due mostly to the trust that the French museum has on the exchange of art pieces with Korea through long years of experience.
Q: What are the significance and a special characteristics of the exhibition?
A:The event introduces the reputable art work from the mid-19th century to the early 20th century of Western paintings, truly representative ones that we can only see in textbooks.
Q: What are other representative work besides Millet'a L'Angelus?
A:Manet's "A boy who plays flute,"and Van Gogh's "La Chambre de Van Gogh a Arles,"are well-known pieces. Millet's work has not been seen overseas for a long time. The insurance cover cost amounted to 800 billion won, about 100 billion won alone for Millet's work. The figure is just a symbolic one projected by the French government which could entice many art lovers to buy them.
Q:What would you do if you were to hold the exhibition for Musee d'Arsay again?
A: I wanted to put on display many art pieces that our people want to see. We prepared for the event for a long time and we would like to continue to hold exhibitions for more outstanding art pieces. nw

(from left) Manet's Boy playing Flute.: 161x97 cm: oil on canvas;
Manet's Berthe Morisot with a violette bouquet-55x38cm-oil on canvas;
Millet's L'Angelus-55.5x66cm-oil on canvas;
Women of Taiti by Gauguin-69x91.5cm-oil on canvas.