Icones of modern Art, The Shchukin Collection, Fondation Louis Vuitton

Last Thursday I previewed the new Shchukin Collection brought in from Russia at Fondation Louis Vuitton.  The show is a tribute to one of the 20th century’s greatest patron of the arts, Russian businessman Sergei Shchukin, and brings together 130 major works from his collection. We were all dressed in black as is required for these events but by the end we were infused with brilliant color.

Icons of Modern Art will be on till February 20, 2017. It is a Must-see. More photos HERE.

On the first floor a room full of Tahitian period Gauguins. Your jaw drops. You won't recover from this glorious exhibit till hours later.

"I recently painted a chic nude, two women at the water's edge; I think it's the best thing I've done up to now." Paul Gauguin, 1892

Wealthy industrialist, Sergei Shchukin collected Matisse like mad and commissioned 'The Dance' from him. Matisse even visited him in Moscow to view the collection.

"The search for color did not come to me through studying other painters, but from outside - in other words, the revelation of light in nature." Henri Matisse, 1930

Multi-media videos were specially produced to tell how Shchukin developed his collection of French modern art and its influence on the Russian avant-garde. This is the first time ever these paintings have left the Pushkin and Hermitage state museums of Fine Art. A landmark exhibit of astonishing works.

There are 13 Monets. Here the cliffs of Etretat.

"Then, in London, what I love above all, is the fog...Because without fog London would not be a beautiful city." Claude Monet

Monet's extraordinary picnic painting.

His wife in their garden.

Sisley, a Seine view.

A classic Pissarro, 'rainy day, Paris'.

Shchukin was enthralled with Picasso. "Picasso took hold of me for good, and I began to buy painting after painting." Sergei Shchukin

An exquisite Odilon Redon.

Rooms of artist's self-portraits like this Gauguin.

The rooms inside the fondation are spacious and airy even though there are no windows in the exhibit areas.

Yet Shchukin's collection in his palace in Moscow was displayed side by side almost like reading a book with all the pages spread open.

Three floors of the Frank Gehry-Daniel Buren architectural creation are filled with the visiting collection.

"A color's transparency and quality when projected using a color filter is, is to me, far more vibrant than a color painted on a surface." Daniel Buren Some might disagree after seeing the Shchukin collection. Do try to catch this not-to-be missed experience.

Meanwhile the paint has been flying. I'm making new Paris pastry bonus watercolors to go out with renewals and subscriptions. Thanks for reading Parisbreakfast! If you like this post and want to support it, buy my Paris letters and watercolors or forward this to someone who might enjoy it. Cheers!