Paul Cézanne Bathers c 1890 Musée d'Orsay, Paris Musée d’Orsay, Paris, gift of the Baroness Eva Gebhard-Gourgaud 1965 © RMN (Musée d’Orsay) / Hervé Lewandowski Part of Masterpieces from Paris

ISSUE 129 | December 2009 | nga.gov.au/socialmedia

Masterpieces from Paris:
Van Gogh, Gauguin,
Cézanne and beyond
4 December 2009 – 5 April 2010

It's almost here! Masterpieces from Paris opens Friday 4 December. Have you got your tickets? Purchase them online now and avoid the ticket queue. Accommodation? Travel plans? Well, it's easier than getting to Paris and the new Masterpieces from Paris website is packed with information to help you organise your trip. Why not consider the event highlights below and our full calendar to see if there's an event with which you'd like to coincide your visit. However we advise visiting early to avoid crowds.

Make time for Emerging Elders, a stunning exhibition of Indigenous art and don't forget the national art collection—some exciting new galleries were opened today by the Hon Peter Garrett AM, MP, Minister for the Arts, find details below.

 

December highlights

NB: For a full listing of events please go to the calendar
nga.gov.au/calendar

Masterpieces from Paris
View from the d’Orsay
Saturday 5 December 2:00 pm
Free | James O Fairfax Theatre

Stéphane Guégan, visiting curator from the Musée d’Orsay, gives an overview of Masterpieces from Paris.

Masterpieces from Paris
Haystacks, peasants and cows: Gauguin and the Pont-Aven school
Thursday 10 December12:45 pm
Free | James O Fairfax Theatre

Lucina Ward, Curator, International Painting and Sculpture, discusses works by Paul Gauguin, Emile Bernard, Paul Sérusier and others on the Brittany coast.

Introduction to Masterpieces from Paris
Mondays 18 January – 29 March (except 15 March) 5:30–7:30 pm
$35, $25 members/concession (includes exhibition entry) | bookings essential, enquire here |
James O Fairfax Theatre

Avoid the crowds. Enjoy an informative introduction to the exhibition by a Gallery staff member prior to an exclusive after-hours exhibition viewing.

Masterpieces masterclass
Series 1: Tuesdays 2 – 23 February 6:00–8:00 pm
$100 series, $80 members/concession (includes four lectures and exhibition entries) | bookings essential, enquire here | James O Fairfax Theatre

One of two Masterpieces masterclass lecture series, this four-week course is ideal for enthusiasts wanting an in-depth look into Masterpieces from Paris. Each lecture provides a detailed investigation of a theme, movement, work or artist featured in the exhibition by key academics and experts in Post-Impressionist art and exclusive viewing of the exhibition, after hours and without the crowds.

Watch out for futher details on our event highlights page.

For children

Children’s Christmas performance
members
Saturday 12 December 11:30 am & 1:30 pm
$12 members, $18 non-members (adults at children’s prices) | bookings essential, enquire here | James O Fairfax Theatre

Muse de Light, a performance by Ickle Pickle Company that will entertain and enthral all ages with a combination of dance, music and performance, bringing to life artists and works of art featured in Masterpieces from Paris.

 

 

Sidney Nolan Ned Kelly 1946 National Gallery of Australia, Canberra Gift of Sunday Reed 1977

New galleries and displays

The Hon Peter Garrett AM, MP, Minister for the Arts just opened a suite of new galleries and displays for the national collection.

The new spaces include a specially designed gallery for Sidney Nolan’s Ned Kelly series, the Gallery’s most popular Australian works. Dedicated showcases for decorative arts, a small gallery for Melanesian art, the first permanent space for the display of photography and the first permanent gallery in Australia dedicated to Polynesian art.

Curator’s perspective:
new Polynesian gallery
Tuesday 8 December 12:45 pm
Gallery open from 26 November
Free | Polynesian gallery Ground level
Michael Gunn, Senior Curator, Pacific Art, introduces the new Polynesian gallery.

Sidney Nolan’s Ned Kelly series
1946–47
Open 26 November 2009
Free | Sidney Nolan Ned Kelly series gallery Ground level
See this iconic Australian series in its new, purpose-built gallery.

Australian Surrealism
Open 26 November 2009
Free | Australian Surrealism gallery Level 1
One of the finest collections of Australian Surrealism, now on display in a dedicated room.

Decorative arts
Open 26 November 2009
Free | Ground level
The new showcases dedicated to decorative arts will highlight aspects of the Gallery’s extensive collection of late 19th and 20th-century fashion and textiles by some of the field’s leading designers. The first display focuses on the work of three of the most influential figures in fashion in the late 20th century: Japanese designers Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo. It will be complemented by a rotating display drawn from the National Gallery of Australia’s extensive Australian and international jewellery collection.

Melanesian galleries
Open 26 November 2009
Free | Melanesian galleries Level 1
Showcasing such treasures as the enigmatic Ambum stone, dating back to 1500 BCE

Photography galleries
Open 26 November 2009
Free | Photography galleries Ground level
The first permanent space for the display of photography at the Gallery.

Asian costume showcases
Open 26 November 2009
Free | Ground level

 

Gallery information

Open daily 10.00 am – 5.00 pm | nga.gov.au | +61 2 6240 6502

Find out more about Gallery events — visit us at Facebook or nga.gov.au/whatson

Become a Gallery member today — visit us at nga.gov.au/members

Quick events search

assisted tours | children | highlights | talks and lectures | members | performances | screenings | workshops

For bookings email eventbookings@nga.gov.au or call +61 2 6240 6504 (weekdays)