A significant body of work from the Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio, much of it never seen in Australia before, is hanging at the Art Gallery of South Australia this winter – and nowhere else in the country.
Monet to Matisse: Defying Tradition covers the period when Western art broke open at the turn of the 20th century, moving through Impressionism, Cubism, Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism. The roster: Cézanne, Degas, Frankenthaler, Matisse, Mondrian, Monet, Morisot, Van Gogh. AGSA has drawn from its own collection too, adding Manet, Picasso and Whistler to the rooms.
Director Jason Smith calls it a rare chance to see the most influential European and American artists of the period together in one show, and the gallery has built a full season around it. Friday Nights run weekly in a champagne lounge inside the exhibition, with after-hours access, Taittinger on pour and French plates from AGSA_eat. The music lineup shifts week to week, with jazz and experimental acts programmed through August in partnership with Creative Original Music Adelaide.
For something more considered, a four-part lecture series runs across August Saturdays, with curator-led tours scheduled throughout the season. The AGSA_eat bistro turns to steak frites and French onion soup for winter, and a pop-up deli in the courtyard does baguettes, pastries and champagne.
Monet to Matisse: Defying Tradition runs at AGSA until 8 November.
For tickets and full program:
agsa.sa.gov.au
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