Le Mystère et l'Eclat (Mystery and Glitter). Pastels in the Musée d'Orsay
Paris, the Musée d'Orsay

The Musée d'Orsay has over 300 pastel works but this is the first time that it is holding an exhibition on its pastels since opening in 1986. On display are some 118 delightful paintings that collectively trace the main artistic trends in the second half of the nineteenth century and indicate how pastel imbues a softening mood.

The first section is dedicated to Jean-François Millet, revealing how his use of pastel made the realism in his art less pronounced. One room is devoted to Edouard Manet, and includes portraits of women that are more delicate than the direct style that he is usually associated with. But it is, of course, the Impressionist works that impress the most. We love William Degouve de Nuncques's moonlit painting of Brussel's royal park, which renders the misty landscape in a romanticized way. Other highlights include dreamy pictures by Odile Redon, a sensual portrait of a nude seemingly floating in water by Lucien Lévy-Dhurmer, not forgetting well-known classics such as Monet's Waterloo Bridge and Degas's ballerinas.

October 8, 2008, through February 1, 2009
62 rue de Lille
75007 Paris
T. +33 (0)1 40 49 48 14