FROM CEZANNE TO PICASSO
MASTERPIECES FROM THE VOLLARD GALLERY

Ambroise Vollard (1866-1939) was the art dealer who, more than anyone else, had a decisive influence on the course of modern art. This exhibition aims to show the extent of his influence, by bringing together almost 190 works (paintings, as well as sculptures, graphic works and artists’ books).

First times for Cézanne, Picasso, Matisse

When Vollard organised the first exhibition for the works of Paul Cézanne in November 1895, followed by those in 1898 and 1899, he not only launched the painter into a wide circle of artists and collectors, but also established himself as the almost exclusive dealer for the artist he helped to become one of the heroes of Modernism. While still a newcomer on the Parisian art scene, he organised significant shows of the works of Van Gogh and Gauguin. He was the first to exhibit Picasso in Paris in 1901, and offered Matisse his first solo exhibition in 1904.

Dealer, patron, friend…

Vollard had a special relationship with all of “his” artists. He encouraged the “painters” to create sculptures (Maillol, Renoir and Picasso), engravings (notably the young Nabis) and ceramicPierre-Auguste Renoir Vollard avec un foulard rouge, 1906 Huile sur toile, 30 x 25 cm Petit Palais, Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris © Photothèque des musées de la ville de Paris - Pierrains (the Fauves). He was a pivotal figure at this decisive moment at the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century, and through his intuition and his boldness, he gained a unique place for himself in the art market, with a passion for artists who were yet unknown or banned. No other art dealer had such an impact on the artistic work of his time as, besides his commercial activities, Ambroise Vollard took on the role of patron, financing projects for several young artists, notably Derain and Rouault…

…publisher and author: a man of many talents

To appreciate Vollard’s true place in the history of art, as a promoter of modern art, one must consider all the different aspects of his activities. The exhibition offers a closer look at the artistic and literary circles he frequented and supported, as well as presenting his work as a publisher. For Vollard also played a crucial role in the publishing revolution at the end of the 19th century. He commissioned a large number of albums of original lithographs, and above all became a real “creator” by publishing illustrated “artists’ books” (livres d’artistes). He also wrote monographs on Cézanne, Degas and Renoir, as well as an autobiographical essay. Vollard was the link between artists, dealers and collectors (Camondo, Pellerin), moving works around by selling or exchanging them in the small world of Parisian art, which soon became international (Kessler, Morosov, Shchukin, Havemeyer and Barnes.). Part of the exhibition is devoted to the iconography of Vollard, bringing together portraits of him painted by his favourite artists, notably Cézanne, Renoir and Picasso… who shaped his image as the promoter of the avant-garde.

PUBLICATION

From Cézanne to Picasso, masterpieces of the Galerie Vollard, 25,8 x 28,5cm, book with paper binding, 352 pages, 250 illustrations, co-edition Musée d'Orsay / RMN, 56€
Small catalogue of the exhibition, 20 x 29 cm, 30 illustrations, 16 pages, French / English, 3,5 €
Ambroise Vollard, Découverte Gallimard, n°503, 128 pages, 12,30 €.

Illustration : Pierre-Auguste Renoir Vollard with a red scarf 1906 Huile sur toile, 30 x 25 cm Petit Palais, Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris © Photothèque des musées de la ville de Paris - Pierrain

The exhibition was organized by the musée d'Orsay, Prais, la Réunion des musées nationaux, Paris, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and the Art Institute of Chicago