
Out & About: Gauguin and the Impressionists at The Royal Academy
With stormy grey clouds set on the horizon, we thought it was time to take refuge at our old favourite, the Royal Academy. Just look at these wonderful details on the staircase leading to the new upper galleries.
Their current exhibition, Gauguin and the Impressionists is made up of Denmark’s Ordrupgaard Collection, a treasure trove of important Impressionist works assembled by Danish couple, Wilhelm and Henny Hansen. It’s an impressive yet compact exhibition, so even if you only have 20 minutes to spare, you can still see some beautiful and important artworks.
Buying his first painting in 1916, Wilhelm started to assemble a small but exceptional collection of French Impressionist works. Towards the end of the first world war, Wilhem noticed that the prices of works were rising, and in 1918 he created a consortium backed by a loan from Den Danske Landmandsbank to help finance more purchases.
The consortium included the collector Herman Heilbuth and the art gallery Winkle & Magnussen. Collectively they were able to acquire works from the most reputable galleries in Paris, including the Galerie Durand-Ruel, which played a crucial role in promoting Impressionism.
The collection is on show in London until 18th October, featuring works from Monet and Degas, to Pissarro and Cezanne and pre-Impressionist artists like Corot and Courbet.
The exhibition concludes with a series of works by Paul Gauguin, spanning his colourful career, from Brittany to Tahiti. Here are a few of our favourite pieces from the exhibition.
I love the soft blues, green and pink hues in Paul Cezanne’s Women Bathing, oil on canvas. It’s just so romantic.
Another favourite was Paul Gauguin’s Landscape at Pont-Aven, 1888, oil on canvas. The greens and oranges in this painting are so rich and juicy.
We have always been inspired by Gauguin’s bold use of colour and this exhibition is a must see! The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition (now the Winter Exhibition) is open from 6th October and we cannot wait to visit again.