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Press Release Pissarro. A Meeting on St. Thomas 10 March – 2 July 2017 Is there a link between Danish Golden Age painting and French Impressionism? On the occasion of the centenary of the sale of the Danish West Indies, Ordrupgaard is highlighting the encounter between the Danish Golden Age painter Fritz Melbye and the later ‘father’ of French Impressionism, Camille Pissarro, on the island of St. Thomas. The exhibition Pissarro. A Meeting on St. Thomas presents new historical material that will radically challenge most people’s ideas of the birth of Impressionism. Camille Pissarro (1830-1903) is known as one of the most important figures in French Impressionism, but few people know that a Danish Golden Age painter played an important role in the origins of the Impressionist movement. Through the exhibition Pissarro. A meeting on St. Thomas, Ordrupgaard tells the story of Pissarro’s early years, and of how the Danish Golden Age painter Fritz Melbye (1826-1869) came to play a crucial role in Pissarro’s life and art. A Dane in the West Indies Camille Pissarro grew up as a Danish citizen on the island of St. Thomas in the Danish West Indies. He came from a wealthy Jewish family, and although he showed early talent and an interest in the art of drawing, it was his father’s wish that he should continue the family busi- ness. Around the year 1850, Fritz Melbye arrived in St. Thomas. Melbye was a marine and landscape painter, and was visiting the New World to seek inspiration. The two young artists became friends, and soon began working together. Pissarro did not share his father’s ambitions for his future, and at Melbye’s suggestion, the two left the Danish West Indies together in 1853 and travelled to Caracas in Venezuela, where they established a joint studio. An equal partnership In Caracas the two artists worked closely together, and the four-year older Melbye exerted a great influence on Pissarro, who was then just 22. It is clear from the many sketches and drawings from Caracas that at the time, Pissarro was far from being the stronger of the two artists. It was rather the opposite – but Pissarro was a willing pupil. On the basis of Danish Golden Age art and the doctrines of the Eckersberg school, they de- veloped their art together. Their collaboration provided a counterpoint to the more traditional ‘teacher-pupil’ relationships of the day, as Melbye was more of a men- tor than a master to Pissarro. Success in the New World The partnership between Pissarro and Melbye in the Danish West Indies and Venezuela lasted for two years. During this time, they managed to achieve sufficient success to persuade Pissarro’s strict father to allow his son to travel to Paris to obtain a proper education as an artist. While Pissarro set off for Europe, the adventurous Melbye remained in the New World, and although they subsequently lost contact, Pissarro brought the experi- ences gained from his ‘Danish’ apprenticeship with him to Europe. The father of Impressionism In Paris, Camille Pissarro became a key figure in one of art history’s most ground-breaking innovations – Impressionism. Pissarro is often called the ‘father of Impressionism’, and in the course of his remarkable painting career he co-operated closely with artists such as Paul Cézanne, Paul Gauguin and Georges Seurat. The special form of artistic collaboration that, through Melbye, he had inherited from Danish Golden Age art was continued in his work with these younger colleagues. His friendship and equal partnership with Melbye thus came to play a vital role in Pissarro’s artistic development. Camille Pissarro. Landscape, St. Thomas, 1856. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Transcript of Pissarro. A Meeting on St. Thomas - Ordrupgaardordrupgaard.dk/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/... ·...
Press Release
Pissarro. A Meeting on St. Thomas 10 March – 2 July 2017
Is there a link between Danish Golden Age painting and French Impressionism? On the occasion of the centenary of the sale of the Danish West Indies, Ordrupgaard is highlighting the encounter between the Danish Golden Age painter Fritz Melbye and the later ‘father’ of French Impressionism, Camille Pissarro, on the island of St. Thomas. The exhibition Pissarro. A Meeting on St. Thomas presents new historical material that will radically challenge most people’s ideas of the birth of Impressionism.
Camille Pissarro (1830-1903) is known as one of the most important figures in French Impressionism, but few people know that a Danish Golden Age painter played an important role in the origins of the Impressionist movement. Through the exhibition Pissarro. A meeting on St. Thomas, Ordrupgaard tells the story of Pissarro’s early years, and of how the Danish Golden Age painter Fritz Melbye (1826-1869) came to play a crucial role in Pissarro’s life and art.
A Dane in the West Indies Camille Pissarro grew up as a Danish citizen on the
island of St. Thomas in the Danish West Indies. He came from a wealthy Jewish family, and although he showed early talent and an interest in the art of drawing, it was his father’s wish that he should continue the family busi-ness. Around the year 1850, Fritz Melbye arrived in St. Thomas. Melbye was a marine and landscape painter, and was visiting the New World to seek inspiration. The two young artists became friends, and soon began working together. Pissarro did not share his father’s ambitions for his future, and at Melbye’s suggestion, the two left the Danish West Indies together in 1853 and travelled to Caracas in Venezuela, where they established a joint studio.
An equal partnership In Caracas the two artists worked closely together, and the four-year older Melbye exerted a great influence on Pissarro, who was then just 22. It is clear from the many sketches and drawings from Caracas that at the time, Pissarro was far from being the stronger of the two artists. It was rather the opposite – but Pissarro was a willing pupil. On the basis of Danish Golden Age art and the doctrines of the Eckersberg school, they de-veloped their art together. Their collaboration provided a counterpoint to the more traditional ‘teacher-pupil’ relationships of the day, as Melbye was more of a men-tor than a master to Pissarro.
Success in the New World The partnership between Pissarro and Melbye in the Danish West Indies and Venezuela lasted for two years. During this time, they managed to achieve sufficient success to persuade Pissarro’s strict father to allow his son to travel to Paris to obtain a proper education as an artist. While Pissarro set off for Europe, the adventurous Melbye remained in the New World, and although they subsequently lost contact, Pissarro brought the experi-ences gained from his ‘Danish’ apprenticeship with him to Europe.
The father of Impressionism In Paris, Camille Pissarro became a key figure in one of art history’s most ground-breaking innovations – Impressionism. Pissarro is often called the ‘father of Impressionism’, and in the course of his remarkable painting career he co-operated closely with artists such as Paul Cézanne, Paul Gauguin and Georges Seurat. The special form of artistic collaboration that, through Melbye, he had inherited from Danish Golden Age art was continued in his work with these younger colleagues. His friendship and equal partnership with Melbye thus came to play a vital role in Pissarro’s artistic development.
Camille Pissarro. Landscape, St. Thomas, 1856. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Into ImpressionismPissarro. A meeting on St. Thomas presents an extensive number of early works by Pissarro and Melbye, painted during their years together in the Danish West Indies and Venezuela. With paintings, sketches and drawings loaned from museums and collections around the world, the exhibition shows how Pissarro built upon his early years of learning with Melbye as his mentor, and how he applied these lessons in Impressionism.
Pissarro for childrenAs part of the exhibition Pissarro. A meeting on St. Thomas, children and young people can accompany Pissarro and Melbye on a voyage of discovery in an exciting chil-dren’s universe, based on the two artists’ many pictures of the Caribbean jungle. The children’s area has been created by set designer Nikolaj Danielsen, known for his TV Christmas series The Other World, in which he created a lifelike adventure universe that included the dwarves’ house from Snow White and the gingerbread house from Hansel and Gretel.
The exhibition’s children’s area is part of Ordrupgaard’s new concept, in which famous artists are reinterpreted in a living, sensory universe. The children’s area follows in the wake of the experiential universe Monet’s Magical Garden from the exhibition Monet. Beyond Impression-ism and Alexander Reichstein’s installation At Home
from 2014, where visitors could explore the Swedish artist home of Carl and Karin Larsson.
Royal participationThe exhibition will be opened by HRH Princess Marie, and there will be speeches by Museum Director Anne-Birgitte Fonsmark and the French ambassador to Denmark, François Zimeray.
Press conferenceThe exhibition will be presented at a press conference on Thursday 9 March at 4 PM. If you wish to attend, please write your name and media to [email protected]
The exhibition Pissarro. Et møde på Skt. Thomasis supported by:AUGUSTINUS FONDENAage og Johanne Louis-Hansens FondKnud Højgaards FondBeckett-FondenFerring Pharmaceuticals A/SPreben Johan Michelsens FondDronning Margrethes og Prins Henriks Fond
More informationPress officer: Mille Maria Nybo Steffen-Nielsen, [email protected], 39 96 04 70
Camille Pissarro. Inlet with Sailboat, 1856. Colección Patricia Phelps de Cisneros
Fritz Melbye. Palm Trees and Grasses, n.d. Olana State Historic Site, Hudson, New York / Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
Camille Pissarro. Landscape from the Antilles, Rider and Donkey on a Road, 1856. Ordrupgaard
