The Proposition: See famous French masterpieces in Canberra
If you’re looking for a lovely way to pass an afternoon in our nation’s capital, may I suggest a sojourn to the National Gallery of Australia’s “Masterpieces from Paris” exhibition. It’s French, it’s post-impressionism, it’s all from the famed Musee d’Orsay in Paris, it’s a bunch of painters with names you recognise — like Vincent van Gogh and Cezanne — and even paintings that you will instantly know — like, van Gogh’s Bedroom in Arles. And today, the exhibition is open til 7pm.
I can only assume that it’s good, I attempted to go the day after Boxing Day with my 89-year-old grandmother and the line was so long that we decided not to bother waiting all afternoon for tickets. Instead, we went to the special Masterpieces from Paris gift shop and admired the branded wine and champagne, the lacy underwear, quirky jewellery and even some French alphabet flash cards for children. My grandma bought some postcards. Since everything is so branded, it was almost like actually seeing it. Plus, I’ve been to the Musée d’Orsay in Paris and seen all the original paintings there and can assure you they were wonderful.
Artist’s representation of the kind of merchandise for sale
The Musée d’Orsay is currently undergoing renovations until March 2011, so save your pennies for a later trip to Paris and head to Canberra’s NGA instead. I’m sure the line will be much shorter now as well.
The details: National Gallery of Australia, 10am-5pm Monday to Sunday, 10am-7pm Friday and Saturday. Runs until April 5. For real night owls, on selected nights in March, the exhibition will be open til 9pm followed by music from the likes of Renee Geyer and Claire Bowditch.
Saw this recently and very quickly realised that I’m not a great post-impressionist fan. Whole rooms that left me cold and a very poor representation of the wonders of the Musee D’Orsay. But go and see it. They have the “starry,starry night” painting by Van Gough and that’s worth the price of admission alone.
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I’d love to see it, but I just don’t feel comfortable about helping Canberra pretend that it’s a real city.
We visited the National Gallery against all advice not to attempt it during week-end. We arrived about 11.30 and the queue overhead the roadway did not look promising. We clambered up some stairs amongst the rubble of a large extension, plywood panelling on both sides with scaffolding. Upstairs and outside under a tent-like galley we joined a queue. There was some queue confusion when it became clear you first had to get tickets. We joined a new one, bought our tickets and returned to the original file. Towards the entrance the line of keen art appreciators was compressed into a zig-zag line-up, giving hope and revival of spirits to all and sundry.
It was moving along nicely and we were finely ticketed inside and moved into room NR 1. It was well worth it and the crowd was filing pensively past each and every painting.
George Seurat’s three little paintings of his frontal nude girlfriend in room NR 2 were outstanding . I took note that she appeared underage but it must have past the classification board at that time.
In room NR 3 was a large painting by Gustave Geffroy of a man in front of a large bookcase. I did not realise that penguins were already available then. Please also notice the Dutch tulips with the plasma telly just above them.
Cezanne certainly loved his onions with beautifully coloured plates of fruit as well. A beautiful monochrome coloured painting by Edouard Vuillard was outstanding.
A crackerjack painting of a fat cracking portrayal of a mouthwatering and beautiful sprawled on bed nude was Pierre Bonnards ” woman dozing on a bed” with the very suitable French title L’indolente, was in my opinion the most outstanding of the lot.
This is a must see exhibitions. Come on everyone. Go and see it, even on a Saturday.
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