Augustin Rouart, the Petit Palais exhibition - our photos

A family story unfolds before our very eyes in the rooms of the Petit Palais. The museum has organized a fine exhibition focusing on the figure of Augustin Rouart, a realist painter of the early 20th century. The Petit Palais has chosen to spotlight the artist through a generous donation by Augustin Rouart's descendant, Jean-Marie Rouart, of the Académie française.

The academician donated twelve works to the museum, so that it could exhibit them to the public. The donation includes paintings by Henri Rouart, Henry Lerolle, Maurice Denis and Augustin Rouart.

To complete this fine ensemble and offer visitors a richer exhibition, the Petit Palais presents alongside these works pastels, paintings and sculptures by Berthe Morisot, Edgar Degas and Auguste Renoir. There are also some fifteen loans and documents from the Rouart family archives, including letters, cards and intimate photographs.

This exhibition, on view from June 1 to October 10, 2021, plunges us into a world of sweets, travels and moments captured on the spot. We become curious spectators of the everyday life that the painters so delicately portrayed.

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The first room of the exhibition introduces us to the "Rouart Constellation", featuring works by Henri Rouart and Henry Lerolle. Landscapes and portraits provide a fine introduction, before moving on to the next large room, the heart of the exhibition.

Here, we can admire the work of Augustin Rouart and his friends and colleagues: Berthe Morisot, Paule Gobillard and Edgar Degas are presented side by side.

Minimalist scenes in vivid colors, vacation memories or settings that seem to have emerged from ancient myths, this exhibition is like an invitation to travel. We walk among these works, which offer us a moment of relaxation and tranquil escape. A sweet moment of poetry to be enjoyed without moderation.