Pola Museum of Art in beautiful Hakone: The Development of Impressionism
Sarah Deschamps and Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
The Pola Museum of Art (http://www.polamuseum.or.jp/english/index.php) in Hakone is situated in a very beautiful part of Japan because this area is famous for stunning nature. Therefore, many artists have flocked to Hakone in order to paint countless scenes of the countryside. Also, the cultural aspect of this amazing area is a real bonus because tourists fuse their holiday in Hakone by visiting many stylish museums and other cultural aspects of Japanese culture.
Currently the Pola Museum of Art is showcasing a special exhibition called The Development of Impressionism: Monet, Renoir, and the Next Generations which will be shown until July 8, 2012. This special exhibition is a pure delight because of the artists on view and the global impact of this art form.
The first section of the exhibition focuses on Monet and Renoir and internal convulsions which occurred in 1886. Then the exhibition highlights the two above name artists and focuses on their pursuit of art and other important aspects within this art movement during the 1880s. This is followed by looking at the Last Impressionist Exhibition and the significance of Neo-Impressionism. Therefore, other artists like Paul Gauguin and Odilon Redon enter the equation. Finally in this section, important attention is put on Paul Cezanne and his own personal artistic quest.
The second section of this adorable exhibition which is extremely well represented is titled Impressionism after 1990: Monet, Renoir and the Next Generations. Monet and Fauvism is the initial theme and this applies to the creativity of Monet and his influence on other artists. Therefore, Henri Matisse, Andre Derain and Maurice de Vlaminck come under the microscope in this intriguing exhibition. This is followed by the close friendship of Pierre Bonnard with Monet and Renoir respectively. After this, the exhibition moves on to Matisse and his frequent visits to Renoir’s last place of abode in Cagnes-sur-Mer in southern France. Finally the exhibition closes with the artistic influence of Renoir on Pablo Picasso and this applies to the period called “Neo-Classicism.”
The Pola Art Musuem comments on their website that “Monet, Renoir and the other Impressionists transformed French painting in the late 19th century. Using bright colors, they vividly depicted the worlds of nature and urban society, as caught in their own eyes. Starting in 1874, they organized group exhibitions in Paris, although these did not continue long. The eighth show, in 1886, in which “Neo-Impressionists” – namely Georges Seurat and Paul Signac – took part, virtually put an end to their group activity.”
“This exhibition examines how French Impressionism, led by Claude Monet and Pierre Auguste Renoir, influenced artists active in the 20th century such as Pierre Bonnard, Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso. It consists of approximately 60 French works produced between the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th: the core of the Western painting collection of the Pola Museum of Art.”
Other adorable exhibitions currently on show include the art work of Itozono Wasaburo, Masterpieces of the Pola Museum of Art, Cosmetic Utensils, and Oriental Ceramics. The ceramics exhibition is a true delight because the richness of Chinese culture can be seen by the awesome display of amazing ceramics. Also, the mixture of Japanese artists and Western artists is a real treat and this especially applies to foreign tourists who may not know about the exquisite nature of Japanese art.
Visitors can also enjoy the stunning scenery of Hakone and eat scrumptious European cuisine which is served up at the restaurant within the museum. Alternatively, visitors can enjoy tea, coffee and snacks at the café. Also, the Museum Shop is well worth a visit because of the quality products available. Therefore, the needs of visitors are catered for and relaxing after visiting the various exhibitions on show is a great way to enjoy your stay and soak up the special atmosphere of this adorable museum.
In a past article about Hakone it was stated that “Hakone is situated in the Fuji Hakone Izu National Park and the entire region is a tourist paradise whereby stunning nature is in all directions and you have so many cultural treasures to view. This notably applies to the Narukawa Art Museum for modern Japanese paintings; the Hakone Open Air Museum; the Pola Museum of Art; Venetian Glass Museum; Suzuhiro Corp. Kamaboko Museum; volcanically active Owakudani geysers; Hakone Botanical Garden of Wetlands; Odawara Castle Donjon; Local History Museum; Museum of Saint Exupery and the Little Pince in Hakone; Hakone Old Takaido Road Museum; Hakone Mononofu-no-Sato Art Museum; Hakone Art Museum; Honma Yosegi Museum; Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Natural History; and you have a wealth of parks and special walks to go on.”
Overall, the Pola Museum of Art in Hakone is an amazing place to visit for art lovers and for tourists who want to focus on the richness of culture. Also, the stunning mountains of Hakone and the many places to visit, means that individuals can enjoy the best of both worlds. This applies to stunning nature and the richness of culture and art.
Therefore, a visit to this stylish museum is highly recommended for tourists who will visit Hakone. After all, it is very rare to find sublime nature and so many museums and special places to visit which are located in the same environment. Hakone is also not so far from Tokyo if you travel by express train.
http://www.polamuseum.or.jp/english/index.php Pola Museum of Art
Images in this article relate to the artists which will be highlighted and not to any specific art pieces which will be part of the exhibition. Please view the website of the Pola Museum of Art to find out more.
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