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The 19th-20th centuries French painting
ongoing
This exhibition presents remarkable paintings, which nobody has ever
seen. They belonged to private collections and were on display in separate
exhibitions. During the SWW the paintings were hidden and after the war
they were taken in the Soviet Union like many other displaced works of
art. In 1950 a cosiderable number of items, which had been taken away,
was transfered to Germany. On display are only some of the items, which
the Soviet state left and kept in closed museum repositories. The museum
was due to keep these works in perfect condition and this has been done,
but exhibiting and studying were forbidden. Due to the changes in Russia
the Hermitage with the help of The Ministry of Culture of Russia has an
opportunity to represent items from closed repositories. It is up to politicians,
diplomats and lawyers to decide their fate. As to museums they are to
reveal hidden items that had waited for a peace treaty, which did not
take place then. We believe, that making the items, which are points at
issue, available to people will help to come to a deserved decision, which
will be approved by our descendants. First of all, this exhibition is
an artistic event, and it is our duty to study, demonstrate and care for
works of art. A wilful history conducted a unique experiment: dozens of
masterpieces by such prominent masters as Degas, Monet, Pissarro, Renoir,
Sezanne, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec, Matisse and many others
turned out inaccessible both for the public and art connoisseurs when
impressionism and post-impressionism were of great interest. These paintings
returned to people will change our understanding of notable artists' works.
This uncommon exhibition gives us that unique feeling of a discoverer,
which with great pleasure the Hermitage shares now with its visitors.
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Landscape with a road and a ploughman
Van Gogh

In the garden
Renoire

Seating ballet dancer
Degas

Place de la Concorde.
(Viscount Lepique with daughters crossing Place de la Concorde)
Degas
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