Image: National Gallery of Art, Washington, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Collection
The Whatcom Museum’s ‘Verdant: French Masterworks from the National Gallery of Art’ presents three masterworks by Auguste Renoir, Paul Cézanne, and Henri Matisse, each on long-term loan from the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The exhibition is part of the National Gallery’s Across the Nation program and remains on view at the Lightcatcher in Bellingham from February 14, 2025, through January 24, 2027.
Henri Matisse’s ‘Still Life with Sleeping Woman’ (1940) showcases the artist’s bold use of color and form. Auguste Renoir’s ‘Picking Flowers’ (1875) reflects luminous brushwork and an intimate portrayal of everyday life. Paul Cézanne’s ‘The Battle of Love’ (c. 1880) explores structure and perspective in new ways, which led to movements like Cubism and abstract art.
Radical in their day, Renoir, Cézanne, and Matisse shaped the trajectory of modern art, redefining how color, form, and emotion could be expressed on canvas.
Verdant invites visitors to explore these movement-defining pieces and consider how their lush and emotive subjects call to mind the verdancy treasured here in the Pacific Northwest.
