French Paintings from the State Pushkin Museum

This summer’s most anticipated fine arts exhibition presents an impressive lineup of classic pieces.

The Pushkin Museum of art, in Moscow, boasts a collection of European art that would make even the French green with envy – its catalogue reads like a who’s who of 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th century masters, with Poussin, Rococo Boucher, Ingres, Delacroix, Millet, Monet, Renoir, Cezanne, van Gogh, Picasso and Matisse all displayed.

Short of traveling to Russia, you can view some of those quality pieces here in Japan for the summer only, in an exhibition (fully) titled Masterpieces of French Paintings from the State Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow. This show was meant to be held back in April 2011, but had to be postponed due to the earthquake and tsunami. Luckily, two years later our own Yokohama Museum of Art is hosting the must-see exhibition.

This event gathers 66 select works encompassing 300 years of painting history, including the much acclaimed Portrait of Jeanne Samary, which is seen as the peak of Renoir’s impressionist expression (and you’ve probably seen Jeanne smiling at you in hub train stations across Tokyo). We’d say, it’s well worth the short trip to Yokohama, and it’s definitely a highlight of this summer’s art happenings.

French Paintings from the State Pushkin Museum (click for more info)

When: July 6- Sept. 16, 0:00-18:00 (closed Thursday, except August 1st and 15th

Where: Yokohama Museum of Art (see map)

How much: ¥1,500 (adults)/¥1,200 (uni.+ HS)/¥600 (Elem.)

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Main image: Portrait of Jeanne Samary, Renoir