Gift of Pierre Soulage to the Hermitage

As a rule acquisition of new works by the museum is a routine procedure. Passions and emotions engendered by it usually abate within the museum walls. It may be the first time that the Hermitage makes it an event for its guests and art amateurs. The retrospective show of paintings by the modern French classic Pierre Soulage held at the Hermitage in the summer of the previous year became one of the museum’s most remarkable and ambitious exhibition projects. The most renowned artist of contemporary France who holds all possible titles and awards, Pierre Soulage brought to St. Petersburg the grandiose exhibition which was previously triumphantly showed in Paris. It encompassed almost half century of the work of this extravagant master of European abstract expressionism from his first essays in the late 40s to the creations that left the artist’s studio just recently.

The master of contemporary art since long ago confines himself to contrasting black and white colors from which he creates wonderfully strong compositions based on his perfect command of rhythmic organization of the canvas space and exquisite play of light reflexes on the painting surface. Light and space are so important for the perception of his creations, that the master specially came to the Hermitage to see the exhibition area and design the display in the huge neoclassical Nicholas Hall. The cold refined beauty of the Hall with two tiers of big windows facing the Neva which fascinated Soulage sounded in paradoxical symphony with the esthetics of absolute existentialism whose adept the artist has been since his first beginnings in art.

The Soulage exhibition was an impressive manifestation of the traditional and consistent interest that the key museum collection of Russia shows in French art, both classic and modern. The artist’s decision to give the Hermitage one of his major creations was a token of recognition of the great museum’s special role as the major collection of French art outside France.

The year-long delay was caused by both red tape associated with transfer of cultural treasures and requirements that the artist set for himself. Soulage has a keen architectural feeling, and the problem of placing his painting in a specific environment takes him time and deliberation. He selected the canvas which in his opinion would best of all match the upper area of the Wooden Staircase suggested by the Hermitage. Though a utilitarian museum area rather than a hall for official ceremonies, it closes the excellent exhibition of the art of France of the 19th-20th centuries, and the painting of Soulage takes its place among the greatest creations of French masters.

The Painting Presentation

Painting 200 å 234 cm. 19 January 1995
Pierre Soulages
Larger view