It’s amazing what painting can do.
Who would have bet, 150 years ago, that this group of young thirties, who did not paint quite like the others, would gather us in 2023 in this magnificent temple dedicated to them, the Musée d'Orsay?
Who would have imagined that their works would resonate throughout the world, every day, thousands of people, from Asia to America?
Despite their determination, their conviction, they had probably not anticipated this destiny, preparing the first exhibition of the "Society of Painters, Sculptors, Engravers, etc." which took place on 15 April 1874 at 35 boulevard des Capucines in the studios of Nadar.
When painting the sun rising at 7:35 in Le Havre harbour on a certain November 13, 1872, one certainly thinks only of the magic of this moment, of this primordial dawn that humanity has in common, this experience that everyone can do wherever he is on earth.
But there is certainly something prophetic when one chooses this work there to appear in a first free exhibition, of which it will become the emblem, and when one calls it «impression, rising sun». It is this title chosen by Monet, or more precisely by Renoir by closing the catalogue. I let the researchers tell us what happened that evening. In any case, it was this title that launched the impressionist movement.
And yes, there is something that rises in this painting, that moves us and grows us, and that everyone understands.
Like this rising sun, Impressionism carries a hope, born in the roar of a devastating war, which tore France apart, and delighted him with one of his brightest young painters, Frédéric Bazille. Impressionism is the mirror of a changing world, with its smoking trains, tugboats, coal longshoremen and parquet planers.
It is a movement of rupture misunderstood at the beginning but which imposed, in a few decades, a new artistic vision, a new relationship between art and society.
Impressionism is, for me, the movement of light after the darkness of this war of 1870. A movement that accompanies the birth of the Third Republic and modern society.
So a movement that still has a lot to tell us today in relation to the times we are going through.
I wanted to mention a painting, which touches me particularly, which says all about this ability to embody the Nation: it is Rue Montorgueil by Claude Monet, the Fête du 30 juin 1878, which he immortalized. It is the first national holiday organized in honor of the Republic after the dark eclipse of the war. It was only two years later that 14 July became a national holiday.
It is this painting that inspired Daniel Buren for the blue, white, red glass that he created and which is now a permanent work of the Elysée Winter Garden.
That this work, Rue Montorgueil, which has not been lent in another museum in France since 2009, can be lent to Douai, this is a very strong act that delights me and symbolizes this year of Impressionism.
In 1974, the centenary of Impressionism took place. What happened? A large exhibition, at the Grand Palais, the Musée d'Orsay did not exist. But that’s all. You had to come to Paris to see it. The state had not initiated anything special in the region. It is, basically, in 2024, the almost opposite movement that we carry, that we wanted to decide together. And thank you dear Christophe Leribault for allowing this little idea to grow. Already, with the Boat trip of Gustave Caillebotte, this national treasure, which could very quickly go on tour, arrived in Lyon, it will soon be Marseille then in Nantes.
There are 170 masterpieces of Impressionism that will be leaving in more than thirty museums. It is truly an unprecedented scale, exceptional, absolutely exemplary.
A big thank you to all the teams of the Musée d'Orsay who make this adventure possible. I am not unaware of the difficulties that this creates for you, who are looking after the integrity of the works, who must reassemble the rooms, design new routes… Thank you because this is an exhibition of an unparalleled scale that we will have here in Paris, at the Musée d'Orsay, I salute the curators, Sylvie Patry and Anne Robbins. But it is also a projection of national collections throughout France.
I mentioned, Rue Montorgueil, I wanted to mention two other examples that are close to my heart. Le Balcon de Manet which has not been loaned in France for 20 years while it has been loaned to 11 major museums around the world. This painting will be loaned to Bordeaux. And The Kitchen Table of Cézanne who has not been loaned for 50 years and who will be loaned to Saint-Denis in Reunion. Two major tables, but I could cite all the others that are in the press kit. It’s really unprecedented.
This national deployment is in a way a form of extension of the Impressionist Normandy Festival which was created under the leadership of Laurent Fabius and which, in four editions, has already built a solid relationship with the Musée d'Orsay. The Musée d'Orsay has already lent hundreds of works to museums. Thank you Mayor, dear Nicolas Mayer Rossignol, for ensuring that this project continues. The 5e It’s going to be a flamboyant edition, and I know you’ll be unveiling all the riches of it here next week.
From Impressionist Normandy to Impressionist France, there is a giant step forward, which we will accomplish together, thanks to the mobilization of all of you. It is a mobilization of more than 30 partners across the country. It is truly exceptional.
It also makes it possible to show, and this is really my conviction, the major role of museums in our society, as a place of knowledge, emotion, discoveries, sharing, which allow to unite the public, especially in the time we are going through.
These are places, not only of democratic access to art but places of citizenship to everyone can find, throughout life, at school or outside, resources, keys of understanding to feel fully belonging to the world around us.
I think we need, more than ever, to tap into this vast and fabulous world of museums, this world of knowledge, of beauty… to restore meaning to our humanity
In 2024, Cézanne, Monet, Renoir, Manet, Pissarro, Morisot, Sisley, Degas, Van Gogh and many others will make our museums a real impressionist Tour de France.
I hope that this will attract a lot of visitors from France and all over the world, who will also do this impressionist Tour de France, and not just an Olympic Tour de France but it is a form of impressionist Olympism that we wear in 2024.
It will always be an opportunity to rediscover specific stories, local stories. We think a lot about Normandy but the history of impressionism is anchored in many cities in France, Nice, Besançon, Arles, etc..
From the highest level of excellence to the greatest sharing, this is the motto that I myself wanted to give to these initiatives, here we will have an Impressionist Spring all year in 2024 and this path of light to come out of all these obscurities that beset us.