The Pierre Gianadda Foundation is
preparing for an exhibition of the works of
Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)along the
same lines as its exhibitions devoted to
Degas in 1993, Manet in 1996 and Gauguin
in 1998. As with these,it is being supervised
by Ronald Pickvance, the art historian, who
is a world authority on Van Gogh. This will
be the first Van Gogh exhibition in
Switzerland for many years, the last one
having taken place in Berne in 1973. The
Foundation's aim is to create an exceptional
event that will mark the Year 2000.
The exhibition brings together between 90
and 100 paintings and works on paper. As
for Van Gogh, drawing was often just as
important as painting, and we have secured
the loan of drawings of major interest. Van
Gogh's artistic odyssey began in 1880 and
only lasted ten years. We follow the artist's
development through an outline carefully
designed to form a genuine retrospective.
The Dutch period (1881-1885) traces Van
Gogh's relentless efforts to master the
techniques and difficulties of drawing, as
well as the painter's initial works at The
Hague in 1882, to the point where he makes
the sombre Dutch palette his own with
works produced in Nuenen in 1884-1885.
Here we find familiar works as well as
others rarely seen over the last few decades.
His two-year stay in Paris (1886-1888)
illustrates the speed with which he
incorporated the Impressionist and
Neo-Impressionist view. Placed in a good
position is spring 1887 in Asnières, on the
Seine north of Paris, where he painted
various views of the river and the local
restaurants.
His stay in Provence, first in Arles
(February 1888 - May 1890), then in the
asylum of Saint-Paul-de-Mausole at
Saint-Rémy-de-Provence (May 1889 - May
1890), is highlighted by a magnificent series
of drawings and water colours. We trace the
development of his style step by step
through a superb sequence of paintings:
many landscapes, as well as portraits and
still lifes.
The two months spent in Auvers-sur-Oise
at the end of his life (May-July 1890) are
evoked by drawings and major paintings,
thus completing the fascinating dialogue
Van Gogh pursued between these two styles
of expression.
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