The Paths to Modernity: Masterpieces from the Musee d'Orsay, Paris exhibition in Shanghai is so popular that "even Van Gogh cannot squeeze into his own bedroom in Arles", according to visitors to the Museum of Art Pudong in Shanghai.
The exhibition features more than 100 artworks from the French museum's core collection for a one-stop-only global showcase until Oct 12.
With works by Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, Paul Cezanne, Edgar Degas, among others, the exhibition charts nearly all the important artistic movements of French art from the mid-19th century to the early 20th century, according to the exhibition's curator, Stephane Guegan, who is also a scientific adviser to the Musee d'Orsay's president.
People gather before the most recognizable key highlights, such as Van Gogh's Bedroom in Arles and The Gleaners by Jean-Francois Millet, to take pictures and selfies.
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"There is such a huge crowd in front of Van Gogh's bedroom that I don't think the artist himself could manage to get in there if he were alive today," says Da Yue, a user of the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu, or RedNote.
Still, "it gave me goosebumps to see with my own eyes the vivid colors and powerful strokes that have transcended more than 100 years", reads another critique on the platform. Walk-through tips are also shared, such as "don't join the crowd at the entrance, go straight to the third floor", or "go to the museum shop first and buy merchandise or you will wait at least half an hour at the cashier".
When the exhibition opened on June 19, the museum welcomed almost 8,000 visitors each day of the weekend. The museum promptly announced a cap of 5,000 visitors on weekdays. Online ticket sales are capped at 4,500 each weekday, with 500 tickets reserved for door sales, according to Ge Yunting, a museum staff member.
The museum also extended its operating hours. More than 35,000 tickets have been sold for June, according to Sheng Dandan, deputy general manager of the museum.
It "might be the first time the Musee d'Orsay created an exhibition that presents a concise scope of its collection, featuring Western art history from 1848 to 1914," says Fu Jun, director of SPSI Art Museum. With the Musee d'Orsay involved in the scenography design, visitors can view these masterpieces in Shanghai and have an experience similar to visiting the actual French museum.
Not many Chinese museums have a collection of world history, Fu says. Decades ago, Chinese art students had to travel abroad to see these masterpieces. "You had to travel from one museum to another to see the original works — the rich textures, colors, and expressions — which was a completely different experience from seeing them printed in textbooks," she recalls.
In 2014, Tix Media brought the groundbreaking exhibition Master of Impressionism: Claude Monet to Shanghai, featuring works from the Paris Marmottan Monet Museum. The exhibition was a great success, receiving more than 350,000 visitors in three months.
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Since then, a series of exhibitions featuring historic Western art has taken place, featuring artworks from esteemed museums, such as the Uffizi Museum in Florence, Italy; the National Gallery London, UK; and the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid, Spain.
These exhibitions, often consisting of up to 100 artworks featuring a particular section, movement, or period in Western art history, enable Chinese art lovers to get an in-depth understanding of the topics, and play important role in public education on art history, Fu says. At the current exhibition at the Pudong museum, visitors can learn about how Western art evolved, with key turning points highlighted.
"This experience is even better than visiting these artworks in their home institutions," she tells China Daily. "In the real Musee d'Orsay, you will stand before an overwhelmingly large number of artworks, and you might not be able to focus on a particular piece, artist, or style to truly appreciate its beauty."
