Rouen Cathedrals Automatic translate

The State Museum of Fine Arts named after A. S. Pushkin presents the exhibition “Rouen Cathedrals”. Study of paintings by Claude Monet from the collection of the Pushkin Museum. A. S. Pushkin”, which will introduce the results of a large-scale scientific project to study two paintings by Claude Monet from the “Rouen Cathedral” series, which occupies a special place in the artist’s work. According to various sources, together with sketches, it includes up to 40 works, two of which are in the collection of the Pushkin Museum. A. S. Pushkin - “Rouen Cathedral at noon (Portal and Tower d’Alban)” and “Rouen Cathedral in the evening.”

The exhibition will tell about Claude Monet’s creative method, the features of his painting technique, what paints and canvases he preferred to use and how long it took to paint the paintings. The exhibition presents the results of the research, as well as exhibits that reveal the history of the creation of the works, and examples of materials with which the artist worked.

Presence in the meeting of the Pushkin Museum. A. S. Pushkin’s painting of two paintings from one cycle at once made it possible to carry out not only a comprehensive technical and technological study of each work, but also their comparative analysis. The project working group included leading chemists, technologists, restorers and art historians. X-ray photography, IR study, analysis of the structure and composition of the pigments of the paint layer and other technological studies were carried out, thanks to which new data was obtained about the master’s working methods.

The artist worked on the cycle from 1892 to 1894. Monet was interested in the refraction of light on the facade of Rouen Cathedral and the transfer of these light-air effects in painting. He could paint up to 14 paintings at the same time, since the sunlight changed very quickly. Initially, the artist planned to maintain the integrity of the series by selling all the works to one person. But the price turned out to be too high, and the paintings were sent to different collections. Currently, works from the series are in the world’s largest museums and private collections.

Two paintings in the series – “Rouen Cathedral at Noon (Portal and Tower of d’Alban)” and “Rouen Cathedral in the Evening” – came to Russia thanks to the collecting passion of the famous collector Sergei Ivanovich Shchukin; one of the works was purchased directly from Monet’s studio in Giverny. Shchukin’s collection included the most advanced French art and was open to the public, which had a significant impact on the development of Russian painting. After the revolution, the collection was nationalized and became part of the State Museum of New Western Art.

Since 1948, Monet’s “Rouen Cathedrals” have been part of the collection of the Pushkin Museum. A. S. Pushkin. For many years, the paintings were under the supervision of specialists to monitor the state of preservation. New opportunities for technical and technological expertise made it possible to conduct an in-depth study, as well as develop a plan for the further preservation and conservation of works.

An educational program has been prepared for the exhibition.

The research project “Monet’s Rouen Cathedrals” took place with the support of the museum’s long-time partner, LG. As part of this cooperation, Vincent van Gogh’s painting “Red Vineyards at Arles” was previously studied.