Summer of a collection

This summer, the Musée des Impressionnismes Giverny is offering a unique presentation of its collections with its soberly titled exhibition, L’Été de la collection (Summer of a collection). Visitors will be able to discover little-known works, both paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints and photographs, that help create a dialogue between Impressionism and contemporary art.

Now boasting a total collection of some 250 works, the Musée des Impressionnismes Giverny has benefited from the generosity of numerous patrons, enabling the institution to greatly advance its cultural and research goals. In addition, several public collections (such as the Centre national des arts plastiques, the Fonds régional d’art contemporain Normandie Rouen and the Lycée Claude-Monet in Paris) have entrusted the museum with major works. So, recent acquisitions and loans are dotted along this exhibition trail.

Recent restoration of other works has helped reveal hidden aspects to the collections, for example Parterre de marguerites (c.1893) by Gustave Caillebotte, now returned to its original dimensions, or the startling two-sided painting by Maximilien Luce featuring La Briqueterie (c.1908) and Soldats de la Première Guerre Mondiale (1916-1917).

At the same time, the museum embraces contemporary art and commissions works by living artists. So, two bronze sculptures by Eva Jospin are presented in the museum garden, while an ensemble of photographs by Terri Weifenbach, tracing the development of the institution’s garden through a year, is being unveiled for the first time. Finally, the exhibition L’Été de la collection (Summer of a collection), will present the museum’s very latest commission – an ensemble of 348 pastels by Isabelle Chatelin, À chaque jour sa lumière (2019-2020), subtly evoking the beaches of Veules-les-Rose in Normandy and reflecting links with Eugène Boudin.

From Claude Monet to Jacques Monory, from Pierre Bonnard to Terri Weifenback, admire a whole range of works devoted to Impressionism and its influence on artistic creativity up to the present. Going hand in hand with this summer season, a calendar of events is put on for visitors, including a bal populaire (an outdoor dance, as so often depicted by the Impressionists), Impressionist walks, tours of the garden, guided museum tours and lectures. Make the most of a visit here to unwind and find peace observing art and nature.