The Morozov Collection – Fondation Louis Vuitton

Living in Paris often gives the opportunity to see Art exhibitions that are unique in the world! This is the case of this wonderful exhibition “The Morozov Collection” at the Fondation Louis Vuitton. We have the opportunity to see the art work of a collection that was spread in different places due to historical circumstances, and which is now reunited and transmits the vision of its owners, thus we have the opportunity to admire exceptional impressionist and modernist art work! Don’t miss the opportunity to visit!

In two words:

“We come as newcomers to all ages, and we often lack experience regardless of the number of years”

The Morozov family was a family of very rich people who made fortune in the Industry during the Tsars era, and who had marriages that helped the cultural as well as the social life in Russia. A family that supported the European creativity, especially French, of impressionist and avant-garde art work! Their houses in Moscou were the field of exhibition of these art works, and they were open to the cultural society of their time, as well as, to strangers once a week!

Pierre Bonnard - La Cueillette des fruits - Musée Pouchkine - 1912 - Moscou
Pierre Bonnard - La Cueillette des fruits - Musée Pouchkine - 1912 - Moscou

After nationalizing the collection of the last living brother of the family, Ivan Abramovitch Morozov, its house became a Museum, and was closed to the public when the Social Realism became the status quo in Stalin’s Russia! It was only after Khrouchetchev came to power that Russians had the opportunity to admire again the art work of this collection, and it took them several years to show the name of the Morozov family next to this art work (starting 1990).

Henri Matisse - Fruits et bronze, Issy-les-Moulineaux - 1910 - Musée Pouchkine - Moscou
Henri Matisse - Fruits et bronze, Issy-les-Moulineaux - 1910 - Musée Pouchkine - Moscou
Valentin Sérov - Portrait d'Ivan Abramovitch Morozov - 1910 - Galerie Trétiakov - Moscou
Valentin Sérov - Portrait d'Ivan Abramovitch Morozov - 1910 - Galerie Trétiakov - Moscou

The collection besides Russian artists who we don’t have the opportunity to see often in Paris, has many Cézanne, Picasso, Matisse, Monet, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Renoir or even Munch and this art work is of an exceptional quality, and demonstrates the taste and the richness of its owners!

Konstantine Korovine - A Paris café - 1890 - Galerie Trétiakov - Moscou
Konstantine Korovine - A Paris café - 1890 - Galerie Trétiakov - Moscou
Konstantine Korovine
Konstantine Korovine
Mikhaïl Larionov - The Window. Tiraspol - 1909 - Galerie Trétiakov - Moscou
Mikhaïl Larionov - The Window. Tiraspol - 1909 - Galerie Trétiakov - Moscou
Claude Monet - Un coin de jardin à Montgeron - 1876 - Musée de l'Ermitage - Saint-Pétersbourg
Claude Monet - Corner of the Garden at Montgeron - 1876 - Musée de l'Ermitage - Saint-Pétersbourg
Paul Gauguin - Matamoe (Death). Landscape with Peacocks - 1892 - Musée Pouchkine - Moscou
Paul Gauguin - Matamoe (Death). Landscape with Peacocks - 1892 - Musée Pouchkine - Moscou
Paul Cézanne - Le Grand Pin - 1895-1897 - Musée de l'Ermitage - Saint-Pétersbourg
Paul Cézanne - Great Pine near Aix - 1895-1897 - Musée de l'Ermitage - Saint-Pétersbourg
Paul Cézanne - Le Grand Pin - Détail - 1895-1897 - Musée de l'Ermitage - Saint-Pétersbourg
Paul Cézanne - Great Pine near Aix - Détail - 1895-1897 - Musée de l'Ermitage - Saint-Pétersbourg
Edvard Munch - White Night. Aasgardstrand (Girls on the Bridge) - 1903 - Musée Pouchkine - Moscou
Edvard Munch - White Night. Aasgardstrand (Girls on the Bridge) - 1903 - Musée Pouchkine - Moscou
Paul Cézanne - Autoportrait à la casquette - 1873 - Musée de l'Ermitage - Saint-Pétersbourg
Paul Cézanne - Self-Portrait in a Casquette- 1873 - Musée de l'Ermitage - Saint-Pétersbourg
Pablo Picasso - Portrait d'Ambroise Vollard - 1910 - Musée Pouchkine - Moscou
Pablo Picasso - Portrait of Ambroise Vollard - 1910 - Musée Pouchkine - Moscou
Kazimir Malevitch - Portrait of Mikhaïl Matiouchine - 1913-1914 - Galerie Trétiakov - Moscou
Kazimir Malevitch - Portrait of Mikhaïl Matiouchine - 1913-1914 - Galerie Trétiakov - Moscou
Henri Matisse - Tryptique marocain : La Vue de la fenêtre - 1912-1913 - Musée Pouchkine - Moscou
Henri Matisse - Maroccan Triptych: View from the Window - 1912-1913 - Musée Pouchkine - Moscou
Martiros Sarian - Constantinople (Instabul) - 1910 - Galerie Trétiakov - Moscou
Martiros Sarian - Constantinople (Instabul) - 1910 - Galerie Trétiakov - Moscou

I was stunned by the beauty of the Bonnard paintings who I did not like very much after visiting an exhibition several years ago at the City of Paris Museum of Modern Art. I always thought of Bonnard as bland, but at this exhibition he is so luminous with very bright colors, simply exceptional  How lucky was M. Morozov to have this kind of paintings decorating the stairs of his house! He managed to bring the Mediterranean atmosphere to the frozen Moscow! And how lucky are we, to have the opportunity to admire these art works thanks to the will and the expertise of the people of the Fondation!

I also liked Renoir who I also considered a bit “grotesque” and found its paintings a bit “rustic”, and please excuse me for these harsh words but in French I have no others  But at this exhibition, they were delicate and beautiful (!) to the point that I changed my mind!

This  exhibition is very beautiful and there are many paintings to admire!

Thanks again to M. Arnault for this wonderful exhibition, it’s simply wonderful as all exhibitions held in the Foundation!

Bien à vous, 
Dimitra

Practical Information
Until the 3rd of April 2022

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