Orsay pulls out all the stops with pastels. © RMN-Grand Palais (Orsay Museum) / Gérard Blot
CRITICAL – Exceptionally, the institution presents 95 of the 500 most powdery and colorful works it keeps. Manet, Monet, Catt, Degas, Redon or Lévy-Dhurmer created these treasures of crushed pigments then delicately applied.
“You dust and you will return to dust”, is it written in Genesis. No doubt these artists thought a little about the human condition while they were designing these pastels that the Orsay Museumin Paris, offers to see just over three months, in parallel with the drawing fair. Then, as is customary, they will return to their box for at least three years, protected from air and light so that future generations can enjoy them. Caroline Corbeau-Parsons, curator of the graphic arts department, has selected 95 works from the rich collection of some 500 issues. They are Manets, MonetCaillebotte, Catt, Degas, or the Symbolists, from Redon to Lévy-Dhurmer.
With the latter, we are already on the same level as the 20th century. Whatever: its enigmatic Medal Womanalso says Mystery, does the poster. We also discover its sumptuous creekan aqueous glow as if born from the depths of the Mediterranean, dated 1936…
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