Exhibition “Nicolas De Staël” at the Musée d’Art Moderne in Paris

Guide tour in French (duration 1:30h) with translation

Nicolas de Staël exhibition is sold out and will be closed on January 21st: it is no longer possible to buy tickets at the Musée d’Art Moderne (online or on site). This is your last chance to see one of the most exciting exhibition of this winter in Paris.

Twenty years after the one organized by the Centre Pompidou in 2003, the Musée d’Art Moderne is devoting a major retrospective to Nicolas de Staël (1914-1955), a key figure on the post-war French art scene.

Staël’s biography immediately created a myth around his art: from his exile after the Russian Revolution to his tragic suicide at the age of 41, the painter’s life never ceased to influence the understanding of his work.

Without neglecting this mythical dimension, the retrospective intends to remain as close as possible to Staël’s graphic and painterly research, in order to show above all a painter at work, whether facing the landscape or in the silence of the studio. An exiled child who became a tireless traveller, the artist is fascinated by the world’s spectacles and their different lights.

Constantly varying the tools, techniques and formats – from the tableautin to the monumental composition – Staël liked to work on several canvases in parallel, superimposing layers of paint and successively altering them.

Featuring around 200 pieces, the exhibit comprises paintings, drawings, prints, and notebooks sourced from collections across Europe and the US.

The exhibition tracks Staël’s artistic journey from his early figurative works to his vibrant, abstract pieces before his premature passing. Staël’s refusal to conform to artistic trends is evident as he seamlessly melds abstraction and figuration, aiming for a more profound and concise expression.

This immersive retrospective takes viewers on a journey through Staël’s life, from his travels to his final days in Antibes, exploring his ceaseless pursuit of an ever-evolving art form.