Art Of The Day Weekly

The Hermitage sees double

AMSTERDAM - One Hermitage closes, and another opens. While the experience in Las Vegas did not last long, the one in Amsterdam should have a completely different ending. The inauguration of this branch of the Russian museum on 19 June is interesting for it follows a very different strategy from that of the other major Western museums. The Louvre and the Guggenheim chose to go after the Gulf currencies and commissioned spectacular buildings to stars of architecture to house collections that are still in the making. The Hermitage is taking them by surprise and will set up in a historic home of the XVIIth century along the Amstel river, to exhibit a part of its funds by often renewing it. What could have seemed to be a lack- lustre policy could turn out to be a winning choice. The potential public is larger in old Europe and the proximity could make the loan of such important works of art easier. The first exhibition presents nearly 2000 objects and runs no major risks since it synthesizes the life in the Tzars court, with ceremonial costumes, Romanov thrones and Fabergé jewels.

Popes from Provence

AVIGNON – Customs change with the times, and this does not exclude the popes. When the French sovereign sent an emissary to see the Pope in 1303, it was to slap him. The attempt at Anagni, ordered by Philippe le Bel, was certainly not the only cause but it did contribute to the election of a French Pope and then to the settling of the Popes in Avignon for three quarters of the century. To celebrate the 700th anniversary of their arrival in 1309, the museum of the Petit Palais demonstrates how local culture was enriched at the contact of the Italian masters. In a town that went very quickly from 6 000 to 40 000 residents, the architects built sumptuous residences for the cardinals which the painters decorated. The influence of Sienna is dominating as can be seen in the comparison of works, carried out with the loans from the Pinacoteca of Sienna, and in particular those of Matteo Giovannetti or the great Simone Martini. As a matter of fact the latter died in Avignon in 1349, after working on the frescoes of the cathedral of Notre-Dame-des-Doms.

Mucha's curves

MONTPELLIER – Together with Guimard, Mucha(1860-1939) carried the «nouille» style to the pinnacle to found Art nouveau, which he expressed in all ways possible. Theatre posters, ads for velocipedes or the famous LU cookies, illustrations for prayer books or for travel books, jewels for jeweller Fouquet or large historical panels… The exhibition at the Fabre museum presents all of his life in 260 pieces while insisting on a few key moments. The most important is undoubtedly the encounter with Sarah Bernhardt in 1894. The poster of Gismonda, when he replaced another artist at the last minute, won him the famous actress’ admiration, and he became the exclusive representative of her «image»… The pavilion of Bosnia-Herzegovina, done for the Universal exhibition in 1900, confirmed his reputation. The setting has been reconstructed here while presenting two giant panels from A slave epic, the work that occupied the final years of his life, when his work took on a more patriotic and religious connotation.

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D day for the Acropolis

ATHENS – One can have lunch up on its panoramic terrace, admiring the Parthenon to which it is dedicated. The most important part of course is inside: the new museum of the Acropolis is finally going to open to the public on 20 June after a number of delays. Designed by architect Bernard Tschumi, this glass, concrete and steel parallelepiped aims at being a model of natural lighting: its main wealth ar the statues, perceived differently according to the various nuances of the Athenian light. The itinerary is meant to be rational, starting with the diggings on the ground floor to reach the archaic collections through a glass staircase. Here we can admire the fronton from Hekatompedon, the first temple dedicated to Athena, and fragments from the Erechtheion. Further up there is the room called of the Parthenon. This is where the famous friezes are presented majestically, moulds for the major part of them since the originals are in London, at the British Museum, where they were taken by lord Elgin in the beginning of the XIXth century. The ten thousand daily visitors expected could well become the best ambassadors in favor of the return of the originals which the Greek authorities have requested repeatedly …

Graffiti is a solid value

PARIS – The Street Art scene is so overabundant, active and changing that it encounters the same problem as the ancient masters: certain authors are so poorly documented that one is constrained to be vague, sometimes comical such as for «Marie Rouffet, active in the XXth century». Fortunately, in the sale on 20 June at the Cigale, next to lady Rouffet, other authors are very well known such as WK Interact whose great composition 6 metres by 7 is estimated at nearly 100 000 euros. Other classics such as Futura 2000, Speedy Graphito , Miss-Tic, John Matos Crash or Blek le Rat will also be present. If one does not want to run any risks, there will always be a Keith Haring, Warhol or Basquiat to choose. If one wishes to remain in the logic of discovering, the nit would be better to aim for Cope 2, Indie 184 or Wayne, cousins of the anonymous subway graffers.