Past ExhibitionsSpecial Exhibition
La Bretagne, source d’inspiration:
regards de peintres français et japonais

Dates

Saturday, 18 March – Sunday, 11 June 2023

Hours

9:30 am – 5:30 pm
Fridays, Saturdays, and on 1 May (Mon.), 2 May (Tue.), 3 May (Wed.) and 4 May (Thu.) 9:30 am – 8:00 pm
Admission ends 30 mins. before closing time

Closed

Mondays (except for 27 March and 1 May)

Venue

Special Exhibition Wing

Adults 2,100 yen, college and university students 1,500 yen, high school students 1,100 yen

• * To alleviate congestion, this exhibition will introduce an advance reservation system.　For details, please check the official ticket website.
• * Admission is free for junior high school students and under. Please present your student ID or any identification with your age upon arrival.
• * Disabled visitors with one attendant admitted free of charge. Please present your disability identification upon arrival.
• * As part of our efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19, no group tickets will be sold for this exhibition.
• * Students and faculty members at National Museum of Art Campus Member institutions may view this exhibition on specially priced tickets (students = 1,300 yen, faculty members = 1,900 yen). These tickets are available at the National Museum of Western Art Ticket Office.

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Organized by

The National Museum of Western Art
TBS
The Yomiuri Shimbun

Supported by

Embassy of France / Institut français du Japon
TBS RADIO,INC.

With the sponsorship of

Daiwa House Industry Co., Ltd.
Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.(DNP)
Sompo Japan Insurance Inc.

With the cooperation of

Nippon Express Co., Ltd.
The Western Art Foundation

Brochure

PDF file 3.07MB

Official website

https://bretagne2023.jp/english/

Brittany, a peninsula jutting into the Atlantic at the far northwest corner of France, is intimately associated with artists. Clinging to a rich Celtic heritage and culture, independent Brittany long resisted its powerful neighbors, Britain and France, and kept its own language even after incorporation into France in the 16th century. The region retained much of its original character: abundant natural features ranging from cliff-fringed coastlines and rocky heaths to deep inland forests; ancient megalithic sites and numerous medieval and early-modern religious relics; a population devoted to the Catholic faith and practicing a simple lifestyle full of local color. An “unknown country” within France, with a distinctive topography and deep-rooted culture, it continued from the 19th century onward to attract artists seeking fresh subjects.

This exhibition focuses on the period from the late 19th to the early 20th centuries when Brittany hosted a great number of painters and printmakers. In presenting works produced in the region, with their characteristic motifs of nature, historic sites, customs, and local history, we ask the questions: what did these artists seek and what did they find? The exhibition also breaks new ground by tracing the progress of contemporary Japanese artists who traveled to France from the late Meiji to the Taisho periods and made their way to Brittany.

In addition to the approximately 160 artworks from around 30 domestic collections and two overseas museums, a wide range of related materials have also been assembled for display. We hope you will take this opportunity to “visit” Brittany through the eyes of the artists and immerse yourselves in the colorful surroundings that nurtured their art.

Exhibition Checklist (PDF file, about 444KB)

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