French Primitives

Built around prestigious paintings (The Avignon Pietà, in particular) and works in highly varied techniques (paintings on wood, illuminated manuscripts, drawings, tapestry, stained-glass windows), this exhibition recalls the research undertaken on the French Primitives. Since the remarkable exhibition at the Louvre and the Bibliothèque Nationale, in 1904, studies and discoveries in this field have multiplied, especially concerning the 15th century. Based upon 20th century archives, the exhibition attempts to show the contribution made by art history to defining the artistic centres, and to establishing or revising the personality of certain painters, who, while claiming to have been influenced by experiments conducted in Italy and The Netherlands, succeeded in forging a powerfully original style. Pressetext

French Primitives - Discoveries and Rediscoveries