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French Moderns, featuring 60 works drawn from the collection of the Brooklyn Museum, chronicles one of the most dynamic, and beloved eras in the history of art. Divided by subject into four themes, Landscape--Still Life, Portraits and Figures, and the Nude--the exhibition shows how the basic conception of artmaking changed over the course of a century. It begins with the academic painters, such as Gerome and Bouguereau, whose meticulous realism and traditional subjects conformed to the artistic canons of the 19th century. It includes the generation of painters such as Millet and Boudin, who used looser brushwork to depict less conventional subjects, such as the beaches of Normandy and peasants and their flocks in the environs of Paris. The Impressionists, led by Monet, Renoir, Cezanne, Degas and Manet, exploded the conventions of both subject matter and style, depicting everyday scenes with bright color and expressive brush strokes. While their work was initially met with hostility and scorn, they are now among the best-known artists of all time.
The generation that followed the Impressionists pushed the boundaries of art even further, allowing color, form and brushstroke to take precedence over subject matter as the focus of their art. With works by Matisse, Bonnard, Chagall and many others who were drawn to Paris in the early 20th century, the exhibition shows how expressionist and non-objective art evolved from the experiments of the 19th century. In addition, works by Rodin, Degas, and other artists show how the freeing of form in painting extended into sculpture as well.
The presentation of this exhibition at the Figge is made possible by the donors to the Major Exhibitions Endowment, and by the following:
- The Hunt and Diane Harris Family Foundation
- Genesis Health System
- Arconic Foundation
- John Deere Foundation
- Twin Shores
- BITCO Insurance Companies
Organized by the Brooklyn Museum.
For a complete list of French Moderns programming, download our guide.
Claude Monet (French, 1840-1926). Rising Tide at Pourville, 1882. Oil on canvas, 26 x 32 in. (66 x 81.3cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mrs. Horace O. Havemeyer, 41.1260. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
Partnerships and Collaborations:
artsBASICS
Augustana Teaching Museum of Art
Augustana College
Ballet Quad Cities
Bereskin Fine Art Gallery and Studio
Bettendorf Public Library
Butterworth Center &
Deere-Wiman House
Creative Arts Academy
Davenport Public Library
Davenport Schools
Isabel Bloom
Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities
KWQC-TV
Living Proof Exhibit
Moline Public Library
Muscatine Arts Center
Nahant Marsh
Putnam Museum
Quad City Arts
Quad City Botanical Center
Quad Cities CVB
Quad City Symphony Orchestra
Quad-City Times
River Music Experience
Rock Island Public Library
St. Ambrose University Catich & Morrissey Galleries
St. Ambrose University
Western Illinois University-Quad Cities
WQPT-TV
Donors to the Major Exhibitions Endowment:
Marsha and Sam Allen
John Anderson
Bill Barnes
Andy and Debi Butler
Community Foundation of the Great River Bend
Don and Connie Decker
The Eirinberg Family
The Family of John H. Danico
Lynda and Jeff Eirinberg
Frances Emerson and
Robert McClurg
Jacki and Max Guinn
Perry and Elise Hansen
Marty and Sue Katz
Mary Lou Kotecki
J. Randolf and Linda Lewis
Brian and Diana Lovett
Lujack’s
Mary Lujack
Pat and John Lujack
Ann and Frank McCarthy
The Henry Parkhurst Family
Vickie Palmer
Bill Prichard
Quad City Bank & Trust
Sue Quail
Julie and Alan Renken
Ruhl & Ruhl Realtors
Kay K. Runge
Debra and Randy Sergesketter
John and Diane Slover
Glenn and Ruth Gaines Thomas
Deann Thoms
Beth and Scott Tinsman
In Memory of R. Hovey Tinsman Jr.
Susan and Richard Vermeer
Jane and George Vieth
Charles and Nancy von Maur
Susan and Richard von Maur
Kim and Bob Waterman
Cathy Weideman and John Gardner
Our Sponsors
Mark and Rita Bawden, Debby and Hugh Stafford, Kay and John Hall, Cynthia Carlson and Scott and Raelene Pullen
Media sponsors are KWQC TV6, Quad-City Times and WQPT-TV
Companion Events
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Saturday, October 6Figge CafeJoin us for a festive family brunch to celebrate the exhibition opening, with drop-in tours in the gallery. $20/adult and $5/child. -
Sunday, October 7Figge Art MuseumEnjoy delicious French-inspired cuisine and a performance by the Ballet Quad Cities of its own creation, “Paris en Pointe: Bolero,” featuring the classic music of Ravel. $40/adult and $20/child.
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Sunday, October 73rd Floor GalleryFrench Moderns will be open to Figge members for a special members-only preview weekend!
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Thursday, October 11Figge Art MuseumJoin Lisa Small, senior curator of European art at the Brooklyn Museum and co-curator of French Moderns: Monet to Matisse, 1850-1950, for an opening reception at 5:30 pm...
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Friday, October 12Figge Art MuseumLisa Small, senior curator of European art, Brooklyn Museum, and co-curator of the exhibition, will discuss the selection of works, and how they tell the story of the changes in French art, and in society.
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Sunday, October 14Figge Art MuseumMarni Kessler, PhD, who currently teaches at the University of Kansas, will speak on "Picturing Paris: Capital of the Nineteenth Century," exploring the social and political upheavals of the Impressionist era.
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Thursday, October 18Figge Art MuseumDr. Randall B. Hall, Augustana College associate professor and musician, along with Augustana’s Kali Yuga Improvisation Ensemble, will explore the acoustic possibilities of the Figge.
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Sunday, October 21Figge Art MuseumJoin Dr. Jonathan Petropoulos for cocktails and dinner, followed by his presentation of “From Patronage to Nazi Plunder: French Modern Art and the Jews. A Complicated History.”
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Sunday, November 4John Deere AuditoriumRoss King, author of bestselling books on the history of art, including The Judgment of Paris: The Revolutionary Decade that gave the World Impressionism.
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Monday, November 5Figge Art MuseumRoss King will discuss his latest book, Mad Enchantment: Claude Monet and the Painting of the Water Lilies
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Thursday, November 8Figge Art MuseumPamela White, director of the museum studies graduate program at Western Illinois University-Quad Cities, will speak about British artist Walter Sickert and the role he played in the artistic transition from
Impressionism to Modernism. -
Sunday, November 11Figge CafeIncludes two glasses of wine. Call 563.345.6647 for reservations
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Thursday, November 15Figge Art MuseumBallet Quad Cities and the St. Ambrose Music Department partner with the Figge to bring you “Paris en Pointe.”
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Sunday, November 18Figge CafeIncludes four tasting selections
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Sunday, November 25Figge CafeTHIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER
Thursday October 31st