The Masters of Modern Art From The Hermitage exhibition is part of the Sydney International ART Series and has been open since 13 October 2018 and until 3 March 2019. The entry fees are $A28 for Adult, $A24 for concession and $A20 if a member. These prices included a superb one and a half hour curator-led tour.
The 60 pictures shown define one of the most innovative and vibrant chapters in the history of western art. Of course the curator-led tour only selected a cross section of these paintings on display but you had all day to take in these wonderful artworks with an audio commentary.
Almost all the French avant-garde paintings in this exhibition were brought to Moscow from Paris at the beginning of the 20th century by Sergey Shchukin (1854-1936) and Ivan Morozov (1871 – 1921). Two of the most brilliant early collectors of modern art, they were members of Russia’s recently established merchant elite and made vast fortunes in the textile industry.
Collector Sergey Shchukin’s relationship with Matisse is explored in an accompanying multimedia installation by Saskia Boddeke and Peter Greenaway, Shchukin, Matisse, Dance and Music.
Drawn from the unparalleled collections of The State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, the exhibition captures the ebullience, idealism and confidence of artists as they freed themselves from tradition.
Exploring the origins of modern art, from the bold experiments of Cezanne, to the radical innovation of artists like Matisse and Picasso, this exhibition documents the seismic shifts that took place in European painting in the years after 1900 and encapsulates a defining moment in art history.
Find out more on Masters of Modern Art From The Hermitage. Exclusive to Sydney at the Art Gallery of NSW.
Patricia Watts
Member, Friends of Te Papa