The Volpini Exhibition, 1889
Encyclopedia
The Exhibition at the Café des Arts in summer 1889 was arranged by Paul Gauguin
Paul Gauguin
Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin was a leading French Post-Impressionist artist. He was an important figure in the Symbolist movement as a painter, sculptor, print-maker, ceramist, and writer...

 and his circle, on the walls of a café just outside the gates of the Exposition universelle
Exposition Universelle (1889)
The Exposition Universelle of 1889 was a World's Fair held in Paris, France from 6 May to 31 October 1889.It was held during the year of the 100th anniversary of the storming of the Bastille, an event traditionally considered as the symbol for the beginning of the French Revolution...

, and run by a certain Monsieur Volpini. Though Gauguin and his companions had a poster and an illustrated catalogue printed, this show of Paintings by the Impressionist and Synthetist Group (Peintures du Groupe Impressioniste et Synthétiste) went almost unappreciated and finally proved to be a disaster: "Nothing sold", was the bitter summary for the participants.

Background

The official art exhibition at the Palais des Beaux Arts accompanying the Exposition universelle displayed works only by invited artists, and furthermore, the selection of works to be exhibited had to pass the judgement of official juries. Neither Gauguin nor his friends could hope to enter this exhibition. But by chance, Emile Schuffenecker
Émile Schuffenecker
Émile Schuffenecker was a French Post-Impressionist artist, painter, art teacher and art collector. A friend of Paul Gauguin and Odilon Redon, and one of the first collectors of works by Vincent van Gogh, Schuffenecker was instrumental in establishing the Volpini exhibition, in 1889...

 found another way that their work could be presented to the public. Monsieur Volpini, the owner of the Grand Café des Beaux-Arts, had a problem: the mirrors he had ordered in Italy to decorate the interior of his café, would not arrive in time for the opening of the Exposition universelle. It was proposed that the gap could be filled with a display of paintings by Schuffenecker and his friends. Gauguin received this news in Brittany: "Bravo! You have succeeded", he answered and added: "Remember that it is we who are inviting the others, therefore ... (!)" Gauguin proposed to include:
  • 10 paintings each, by Schuffenecker, Guillaumin
    Armand Guillaumin
    Armand Guillaumin , was a French impressionist painter and lithographer.Born Jean-Baptiste Armand Guillaumin in Paris, he worked at his uncle's lingerie shop while attending evening drawing lessons. He also worked for a French government railway before studying at the Académie Suisse in 1861...

    , Gauguin and Bernard
  • 2 paintings each, by Roy and Fauché, "the man from Nancy"
  • 6 paintings, by Vincent
    Vincent van Gogh
    Vincent Willem van Gogh , and used Brabant dialect in his writing; it is therefore likely that he himself pronounced his name with a Brabant accent: , with a voiced V and palatalized G and gh. In France, where much of his work was produced, it is...


Guillaumin as well as Theo van Gogh
Theo van Gogh (art dealer)
Theodorus "Theo" van Gogh was a Dutch art dealer. He was the younger brother of Vincent van Gogh, and Theo's unfailing financial and emotional support allowed his brother to devote himself entirely to painting...

, acting for his brother Vincent, refused to participate, while Anquetin, Laval and Monfreid joined the group - and finally, Bernard split his contribution: two of his paintings were shown under the pseudonym Ludovic Nemo and described as peintures pètroles.

Artists participating

Layout and Illustrations

The catalogue of this exhibition has a somewhat idiosyncratic layout. The title page is followed by a list of contributing artists (Exposants), accompanied by a reproduction of Gauguin's "Aux Rochers noires". The next double-page lists Gauguin's contribution (nos. 31-47) and reproduces Gauguin's Les Faneuses, and the one following Schuffenecker's list (nos. 55-67, 78, 69-73, 83) together with Ramasseuses de varech (Yport). Émile Bernard continues (nos. 7-19bis, 75-88), illustrated by Reverie. Now, Louis Anquetin (Nos. 1-6bis) precedes Louis Roy (nos. 49-54bis) and an illustration of his Gardeur de cochons. Léon Fauché (nos. 22, 23, 25, 26, 28) and a reproduction of his Paysan occupies the next two pages, Charles Laval (nos. 84, 85, 89-96) and George Daniel (nos. 20-21bis) continue; Femme lisant of the latter is illustrated. The two final pages of the catalogue list two works by Ludovic Némo (nos. 74, 87) accompanied by an untitled reproduction, and note that an album of lithographs by Bernard and Gauguin can be seen on demand (Visible sur demande Album de Lithographies, par Paul Gauguin et Émile Bernard).
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