中法文化之春艺术节开幕

中法文化之春艺术节开幕

"Festival Croisements", the biggest French cultural event in the world, which has just kicked off on Friday at the National Museum of China. The opening exhibition "Ten Masterpieces of French Painting" features some of the most recognisable works from France’s five top museums.

"Festival Croisements", the biggest French cultural event in the world, which has just kicked off on Friday at the National Museum of China.

Ten iconic works of French art united here at the National Museum of China. For the first time, five world-class museums in France, including the Louvre are jointly hosting an exhibition in a foreign land.

French Ambassador to China Madame Sylvie Bermann attends the opening of the exhibition. She says cultural exchanges like these serve as an important catalyst for friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

"It’s the 9th edition of the Croisements festival and it coincides with the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between France and China, putting our rich artistic exchanges in the limelight. The number 9 (Jiu) has an auspicious value according to the Chinese tradition, and is also a homonym for longevity(Jiu), firmly inscribed in a logic of duration and maturity," she said.

The Louvre, the Orsay Museum, the Picasso Museum, the Versailles Museum and the Pompidou center have put on a cultural feast for Chinese art buffs, truly la creme de la creme.

"Festival Croisements", the biggest French cultural event in the world, which has just kicked off on Friday at the National Museum of China.

These masterpeices come from different periods of history, including some of the most exciting chapters of the French art, such as Impressionism. The inherent power of these works, the things they represent and the emotions they arouse, all serve to embody a certian idea of France.

From patrons of the arts like Francois I and Louis XIV, to works by Cubism pioneer Pablo Picasso, the paintings trace important eras and artistic movements in France, from the Renaissance until after World War Two.

One of the centrepieces is Renoir’s Dance at le Moulin de la Galette from the Orsay Museum, an emblem of Impressionism painting.

"We’ve chosen this piece of Renoir because with his tableaux eulogizing Parisian life, he really captures the gallant and celebratory atmosphere of Paris at that time. And the way he plays with light and shadow in his painting was totally new. Also notable is that the Orsay Museum, which houses this work, was actually transformed from a train station. So here visitors can learn a lot of interesting things about both the painting and the museum where it comes from," said Come Fabre, curator of Musee D'Orsay.

"Festival Croisements", the biggest French cultural event in the world, which has just kicked off on Friday at the National Museum of China.

"Festival Croisements", the biggest French cultural event in the world, which has just kicked off on Friday at the National Museum of China.

And with a video guide, the exhibition gives Chinese viewers a chance to discover masterpieces that are symbolic of the museums they belong to.

"I’ve seen this Renoir when I studied in Paris. Seeing it for a second time in my home country, it’s like seeing an old friend. I’m just thrilled," said a visitor.

"I also paint, and Picasso has always been my favourite painter. So to see one of his earlier works and one of his cubist works together, it’s a rare opportunity for me to get insight into the artist," said a visitor.

"Ten Masterpieces of French Art" is just the beginning of a series of events celebrating French culture.

From April to July, Festival Croisements will play host to 100 events in more than 40 Chinese cities, encompassing artistic disciplines such as cinema, dance and music, as well as visual arts incorporating new media.