Fifty-two masterpieces await visitors on the third floor of the National Art & History Museum, which features a remarkable selection of landscapes, portraits, and still lifes.
Thirty of these works come from the renowned Rau Collection for UNICEF, one of Europe’s most important private art collections, which is usually housed at the ARP Museum Bahnhof Rolandseck in Remagen, Germany.
These paintings are complemented by highlights from the museum’s own collection, creating a unique overview of Impressionist art.
Famous names such as Claude Monet, Édouard Manet, Gustave Courbet, Mary Cassatt, Gustave Caillebotte, and Camille Pissarro are represented in the exhibition.
According to curator Ruud Priem, bringing together thirty leading Impressionist works by these celebrated French masters is a particular privilege for Luxembourg's art scene.
A journey through the exhibition "From Renoir to Monet" allows visitors to experience artworks shaped by a world undergoing rapid and profound social transformation.
Instead of following the strict academic and classical painting traditions of their time, Impressionist artists capture the overall mood of a scene or a fleeting moment, rather than depicting every exact detail with realism.
One name stands out above all others for the epoch and style of Impressionism: Claude Monet.
The French painter was not only one of the founders of the movement but also gave Impressionism its name.
The exhibition features three works by this "master of light", including the evocative "Les pyramides rocheuses de Port-Coton" ("The Pyramides at Port-Coton, Rough Sea").
Among the exhibition highlights from the Rau Collection for UNICEF is the oil painting "La mer. Opus 211" by Paul Signac, a vibrant beach scene the French artist painted in 1890 near Saint-Malo.
The exhibition also includes two rare photographs by Edward Steichen, illustrating the interplay between photography and Impressionist painting.
In the 19th century, both media evolved side by side, influencing and inspiring each other, which is reflected in the works selected for this exhibition.
Art lovers have until 4 April 2027 to discover this exceptional collection at the National Museum on Luxembourg City.
