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Niki de Saint Phalle in Aix-en-Provence

  Ballet  1966 (from Roland Petit's ballet "In praise of Folly") Niki de Saint Phalle (1930-2002) has become a famous figure of French 20th century art, especially thanks to her large blown-up sculptures of brightly coloured women- her "Nanas" (French slang for Women), by which she explodes the canons of female beauty and brings a smile to your face.  A big exhibition is programmed at the Grand Palais in Paris later this year.  For the moment, there is a highly colourful  summer show down in Aix-en-Provence, at the elegant Hôtel Caumont museum. 70 works are on display, including some rarely seen. The theme is Niki's magic bestiary: poster for the Aix Exhibition                         Animals are important throughout Niki's work and have symbolic meaning. Birds, according to the commissaire of the Aix exhibition- Lucia Pesapane- are a metaphor for the artist's spiritual quest and also represent goodness...
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The Nahmad Collection: from Monet to Picasso, Giverny

  Amedeo Modigliani: Jeune fille à la chemise rayée (Young girl in stripey shirt) 1917 The Exhibition of the Nahmad Collection at the Musée des Impressionismes, Giverny, culminates in three works by 20th century masters: Modigliani, Matisse and Picasso. It is refreshing to see some lesser-known paintings. Modigliani's young girl, above, looks a thoroughly modern woman in her rather masculine attire but her gaze is impenetrable. It is unusual for Modigliani to paint the eye pupils- many of his models have blank, mask-like eyes.  Matisse's cosy scene of a piano lesson was painted when he was living in Nice. He finds a rich harmony of colours and a dynamic balance between the different patterns: Henri Matisse: La leçon de piano (The Piano lesson) 1923 Picasso is at the heart of David Nahmad's collection, which contains around 300 of the Spanish painter's works. Here, the Pierrot with flowers is a portrait of Picasso's son Paulo, born in 1921, but harks back to a tradit...

Cimabue- "The origins of Italian painting" at the Louvre

  La Maestà (Virgin in majesty) circa 1280-5  Two of the Louvre's prize possessions were originally Napoleonic war booty! They are at present on show in a small but precious exhibition at the Western end of the grand gallery in the Denon wing. The star of the exhibition is the newly restored "Maestà" by Cimabue, known in English as the Virgin in majesty or the Virgin enthroned with angels. Its colours have been beautifully refreshed, from the virgin's lapis lazuli robe to the shimmering multi-coloured wings of the seraphim angels surrounding her and the Christ child. The angels and Saints (including Saint Francis) around the frame all look as if they are ready to pop out of the icon into the real world: detail: angel (from exhibition film) Little is known about Cenni di Pepo, called Cimabue. There are only two documented dates in his life: he was in Rome in 1282 and was working in Pisa in 1301 to 1302, the date of his death. Renaissance artist Vasari writes that Cimab...