Iconic painting The Card Players, by French artist Paul Cézanne will be on display at the Ferens from Saturday 2 June.
Following the Courtaulds magnificent loan by Manet in 2017, Paul Cézannes iconic Card Players, 1892-6, will now visit as part of a sustained national partnership. Cézannes famous series of paintings of peasant card players have long been considered to be among his most powerful works and this canvas is one of the acknowledged highlights of the Courtaulds holdings.
Having been rejected by the official Paris Salon in 1870, Cézanne exhibited at the first Impressionist group exhibition in 1874. However, his work was radically different from that of his contemporaries and found little favour with critics and collectors. Following his lack of success in Paris, Cézanne withdrew into relative obscurity at his family home near Aix-en-Provence. Here he formed a deep bond with the landscape and the local people, such as Paulin Paulet, a gardener on his estate who is depicted in the painting. The Card Players is a masterpiece of Cézannes and his highly original and ground-breaking approach to painting led to him being considered one of the most important artists of his time and the father of modern art.
The Cézanne loan will be accompanied by an extensive display of nineteenth and early twentieth century art drawn from the Ferens permanent collection exploring related themes of peasants and rural life. A number of rarely seen watercolours and prints are included as well as visitor favourites; Walter Langleys Memories, 1906, and Joseph Wright Barkers large canvas Farm Horses and a Foal at a Ford, 1915.
Councillor Dave Craker, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Tourism, said: It has been quite a remarkable past few years for the Ferens Art Gallery. From the fabulous SKIN exhibition that featured Spencer Tunicks Sea of Hull, to the restoration and unveiling of Pietro Lorenzettis Christ between Saints Paul and Peter, and of course last years Turner Prize, the gallery has displayed some incredible pieces of art.
I was delighted to see that the gallerys amazing work was recognised earlier this month when Ferens was shortlisted for the Art Funds prestigious Museum of the Year award, and its the gallerys ability to display internationally renowned pieces like Cezannes The Card Players that makes it one of the UKs most outstanding art galleries.
Barnaby Wright, Deputy Director of the Courtauld Gallery, said: We are thrilled to continue our partnership with the Ferens Art Gallery with the loan of Cézannes The Card Players. Building on the success of our major loan, Manets De´jeuner sur lherbe in 2017 we are happy to continue our partnership with the Gallery and providing an opportunity for the Hull community to experience and enjoy masterpieces from The Courtauld Gallery, London.
The work will be on display from 2 June to 9 September in Gallery 8.