Millet's 'Gleaners' on view in Seoul

Jean-Francois Millet "The Gleaners" (1857). / Courtesy of Musee d'Orsay

By Kwon Mee-yoo

The Musee d'Orsay in Paris is a must-see in the French capital as it is a treasure trove of French art, including the world's largest collection of Impressionist and post-Impressionist masterpieces.

A special exhibition at the Hangaram Art Museum of the Seoul Arts Center in southern Seoul presents 131 masterpieces from the Musee d'Orsay, including works of Koreans' favorite painters, Jean-Francois Millet and Vincent van Gogh.

Co-hosted by the Seoul Arts Center and GNC Media, this is the third travelling exhibit from the top Parisian museum, celebrating the 130th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Korea and France as well as the 30th anniversary of the museum.

Guy Cogeval, president of the Musee d'Orsay, said some of the works on view are not even displayed in the Orsay Museum in Paris.

"Musee d'Orsay has a vast collection and we want to share this with Korean audiences. This exhibition sheds light on how beauty was interpreted by artists in the 19th century," Cogeval said at a press conference. "We will show how France modernized in the 19th century and how French life changed amid urbanization."

Musee d'Orsay President Guy Cogeval speaks during a press conference at the Seoul Arts Center on Oct. 28. / Courtesy of Seoul Arts Center

Subtitled "The world of aesthetics in the 19th century," the exhibit is divided into five parts ― Romanticism and Classicism; Academism and Realism; Impressionism and Naturalism; Symbolism and Eclecticism; and various sources for the modern art in the 20th century.

Xavier Rey, curator at the Musee d'Orsay, advised to pay attention to drawings, which are seeds of an aesthetic evolution. The French museum owns some of the most important drawings in the history of art, but they are rarely exhibited overseas due to conservation issues.

"There are many travelling exhibits featuring paintings, but drawings are seldom presented abroad. Edgar Degas' drawing on a fan 'Le Ballet' is allowed to travel only once in 10 years and some of the drawings displayed here will be stored in a dark room for years after this exhibit," Rey said.

Along with the Millet's "The Gleaners," a handful of sketches providing a glimpse on how the artist came up with the painting are displayed.

Other notable drawings on display are Degas' sketches of dancers and Renoir and Cezanne's nude drawings. Eugene Boudin's drawings feature landscapes.

The exhibit runs through March 5, 2017. Admission is 13,000 won for adults. For more information, visit sac.or.kr or call 02-325-1077.

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