COPENHAGEN.- They caused an outrage when they appeared. Today they rank among the most reproduced, popular and priceless artists in the world. Monet, Renoir, Degas, Pissarro, Rodin, van Gogh, Cézanne, Braque… From the end of January 2009 they can all be seen at Arken Museum of Modern Art.

In the spring of 2009 Arken presents the fine collection of French Impressionists and Postimpressionists from The Israel Museum, Jerusalem. 53 paintings and sculptures come to Denmark for four months in the exhibition Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, Gauguin.

It is a unique opportunity to experience a number of masterpieces by the many brilliant and innovative artists based in France who would revolutionise world art from the 1870s and into the twentieth century. A time when change was the only constant.

The artists caused an outrage when they appeared. Today they rank among the most reproduced, popular and priceless artists.

ENCOUNTERING THE MODERN WORLD
In their art the Impressionists communicated their sensory perception of the new modern world that was developing before their eyes. They created a new style of painting, immediate and sketch-like in order to capture the fleeting moment before it was over. They painted the reality around them. The heroes and gods of past generations’ art must surrender their place to contemporary people of flesh and blood; elegant Parisiennes, rural girls, posh gentlemen and harvesters. Eager students of sunlight, the impressionists painted outdoors. They daubed their canvasses spontaneously and with brushes heavy with paint. They painted with colours rather than lines. Their works pulse with presence and a particular sensual pleasure.

The Postimpressionists denotes the group of contemporary or younger artists who retired from modern life rather than painted it. They depicted the inner world instead of the outer one – and an artist like Gauguin travelled to Tahiti to find and pursue the original, primitive life.

Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, Gauguinpresents the incredible span in the artists’ reactions to the new age. We are shown a volatile, versatile period when the artist milieu was seething with innovations, discussions, inspiration, friendships and discord. And this age is illustrated in the works from Israel Museum.

ONE OF THE FINEST COLLECTIONS OF IMPRESSIONISTS
The Israel Museum has received a wealth of private donations especially from the American Jewish community. In the course of half a century a tremendous art collection has been created, including works which no Danish museum would be able to acquire today.

The collection of Impressionist and Postimpressionist art includes some of the Israel Museum's most beloved works. While individual works have participated in numerous exhibitions worldwide and images from the collection are included in many publications, this is the first time that an ensemble of major works from this collection travels outside Jerusalem. This opportunity highlights the Museum’s strength in these fields and therefore signals a kind of coming-of-age for the collection, which now achieves wider international exposure.