Berthe Morisot’s Impressionist masterpieces together in Nice
Sous l’oranger, Berthe Morisot, 1889 © Image courtesy Nelson-Atkins Media Services, Gabe Hopkins
The Principality and a number of other museums are contributing to this unique exhibition that brings together some sixty paintings by the first woman to have participated in Impressionist exhibitions.
The Nice Riviera is dressed up to the nines to celebrate 150 years of impressionism, featuring one of the movement’s most emblematic figures, Berthe Morisot. Until 29 September 2024, the Musée des Beaux-Arts Jules Chéret is devoting an exceptional exhibition to this pioneering artist, whose canvases immortalised the light and gentle pace of life on the Côte d’Azur.
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A journey to everyday 19th century Riviera
The unprecedented retrospective entitled «Berthe Morisot à Nice, escales impressionnistes» brings together some sixty works. Most are on loan from international cultural institutions (the Musée d’Orsay, the Musée Marmottan Monet, the Prince’s Palace in Monaco, the Nelson Atkins Museum in Kansas City, the National Museum in Stockholm and the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Lyon), providing a comprehensive overview of Berthe Morisot’s artistic output during her two stays in Nice over the winters of 1881-1882 and 1888-1889.
For the occasion, one of Claude Monet’s masterpieces made the trip from the Musée d’Orsay in Paris: The Villas at Bordighera. Exhibited in a dedicated space, it offers visitors an intimate and exclusive experience, reflecting the relationship between the two painters.
A gift from the Impressionist master to Berthe, it is joined by other Impressionist masterpieces by Monet as well as Auguste Renoir.
A celebration of women’s creative work
As well as the work of Berthe Morisot, the exhibition highlights the creative profusion of female painters during the Belle Époque. Works by Mary Cassatt, Eva Gonzalès and Louise Breslau, shown alongside those of Berthe Morisot, testify to the talent and originality of these often little-known artists.
The exhibition opening in June was attended by a host of VIPs, including Princess Caroline of Monaco, Christian Estrosi, Mayor of Nice and President of the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolitan Authority, and Sylvain Amic, Chairman of the Musée d’Orsay and Musée de l’Orangerie.
In October, the exhibition will continue its journey along the Riviera, stopping off at the Palazzo Ducale in Genoa where the paintings will be displayed in the palace’s majestic apartments.