Louvre Abu Dhabi has unveiled Post-Impressionism: Beyond Appearances, a major exhibition running from October 16, 2024, to February 9, 2025, showcasing over 100 artworks by prominent Post-Impressionist artists. Presented in collaboration with Musée d’Orsay and France Muséums, the exhibition highlights masterpieces by Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Cézanne, Paul Gauguin, and more, offering insights into the moment that reshaped painting from the late 19th century onward.
Curated by Jean-Rémi Touzet from Musée d’Orsay and Jérôme Farigoule from Louvre Abu Dhabi, the exhibition features renowned works on loan from nine major cultural institutions. Key pieces include Van Gogh’s Bedroom in Arles (1889), Cézanne’s Still Life with Onions (1896–1898), and Gauguin’s The Talisman (1888). Additionally, two works by Egyptian artist Georges Hanna Sabbagh, a rare inclusion, expand the exhibition’s exploration of Post-Impressionism’s influence beyond Europe.
Organised into nine thematic sections, each focuses on a unique pathway within Post-Impressionism—from the structured rhythms of Cézanne to Gauguin’s flat tints and Van Gogh’s expressive impastos. Visitors can experience interactive multimedia installations, including video projections and digital storytelling, to deepen their engagement with the art.
A cultural program complements the exhibition. Highlights include curator talks, family activities, and immersive experiences like “Secret Dinners,” featuring culinary elements inspired by the artworks. A special screening of Loving Vincent and a podcast series further enrich the visitor experience.
Interview with Jérôme Farigoule
Can you please introduce yourself?
I’m Jérôme Farigoule, a curator at the Louvre Abu Dhabi, responsible for wings three and four, covering Modern and Contemporary times—from the Renaissance to today. When I arrived last year, I was invited to join the curatorial team for this autumn’s Post-Impressionism exhibition in Abu Dhabi. My expertise lies primarily in 19th-century art. I was delighted to take part in this project, which was co-organised on the curatorial side by myself and Jean-Rémi Touzet, a curator at the Musée d’Orsay specialising in this period. We collaborated closely to build this exhibition since we both began in 2023.
What inspired the selection of key works for the Post-Impressionism exhibition?
The selection centres on the Musée d’Orsay’s renowned collection, widely considered among the most significant collections of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art in the world. This exhibition conceptually follows last year’s Impressionism exhibition, serving as a second chapter. Although both Impressionism and Post-Impressionism reflect transformative moments in art history, they’re distinct. Impressionism was a movement in which artists worked together to capture reality, focusing on natural elements and ephemeral moments. Post-Impressionism, on the other hand, wasn’t a movement but a period marked by individuality, where artists explored new directions beyond realism.
For example, Georges Seurat and Paul Signac, the leading figures of Neo-Impressionism, developed techniques that distinguished their work, while Paul Gauguin and Emile Bernard, who gathered in Pont-Aven, sought a unique, symbolic style. Paul Cézanne, often working alone, introduced a new structure to painting that would influence future movements, and artists of the Nabis group pursued a decorative approach that integrated art with everyday life. Odilon Redon, known for his dreamlike imagery, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, who captured Parisian nightlife, further underscore the diversity of Post-Impressionism. Each artist’s distinctive style reflects a constellation of individual paths rather than a single movement.
Could you share some insights on the collaboration process with the Musée d’Orsay for this exhibition?
Our collaboration with the Musée d’Orsay was seamless, as I’m familiar with the museum and its collection through previous work. For this exhibition, the Orsay team proposed an initial list of masterpieces such as The Large Bathers by Paul Cézanne, Mont Sainte-Victoire by Cézanne, The Bedroom in Arles by Vincent van Gogh, and Le Talisman, Landscape in the Bois d’Amour by Paul Sérusier. Jean-Rémi and I refined the selection, adding a dedicated section on prints, as printmaking played an essential role in advancing modern styles. Many of these artists, including Pierre Bonnard and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, contributed to avant-garde magazines and publications like La Revue Blanche. We also introduced a final section, “New Paths,” which examines the lasting impact of Post-Impressionism.
What specific artistic movements or trends from the Post-Impressionist period do you hope to highlight?
Our goal is to highlight the diversity within Post-Impressionism. In addition to showcasing well-known artists like Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cézanne, Paul Gauguin, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, we’re drawing attention to lesser-known groups like the Pont-Aven School and Neo-Impressionism. Gauguin’s departure to Pont-Aven and later to Polynesia exemplify the artists’ varied journeys, while the Neo-Impressionists—Georges Seurat and Paul Signac—adopted pointillism to achieve a unique colour effect. The Nabis, including Pierre Bonnard and Édouard Vuillard, promoted the idea of integrating art with everyday objects, emphasising decorative arts.
We’ve designed the exhibition layout with a central room that invites visitors to explore these artists’ interconnections. Each gallery emanates from this central point, encouraging viewers to perceive Post-Impressionism as a vibrant network of influences rather than a linear progression.
How do you intend for the exhibition to engage visitors with the cultural and historical context of the artwork?
The exhibition includes a range of interactive features. Visitors begin in an introduction room that sets the stage by presenting works from the last Impressionist exhibition in 1886, offering insights into the artists’ evolving directions. The central room features a digital table that details the key movements, artists, and relationships within Post-Impressionism, while interactive screens highlight the fascinating lives and travels of select artists like Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Paul Gauguin, and Vincent van Gogh, connecting their experiences to their art.
How does the Post-Impressionism exhibition contribute to the cultural dialogue between Eastern and Western art traditions?
In collaboration with Jean-Rémi, we included a “New Paths” room that extends the exhibition’s scope to artists from the Middle East who engaged with Post-Impressionist ideals. One such artist, Georges Sabbagh, an Egyptian painter, studied art in Cairo before moving to France to work with artists from this period. Sabbagh serves as a bridge between emerging Middle Eastern art schools and Western Post-Impressionist traditions, illustrating the cross-cultural exchanges that enriched art during this era.
Location: Louvre Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi
Dates: October 16, 2024, to February 9, 2025
