European Masterpieces – Monet, van Gogh, Rubens, Velázquez, and More

I attended the European Masterpieces exhibition the other day with Chontele, Elora, and my parents.

On arrival, we were met with a line that spanned from the entrance, all the way across the front of the building, and around the corner. Not what you want to see when you are with a nearly 4-month-old baby. But to everyone’s surprise, Elora was the most patient of us all. 2 hours in line and hardly a peep.

The exhibition itself was fantastic. So much beauty packed into a few rooms. Here’s a list of the paintings that were on display.

Of course, I loved seeing Claude Monet’s Water Lilies. Such a simple painting yet it captivated the room. The whole series (250+ paintings) in a single room would be quite a sight.

Claude Monet, Water Lilies, 1916-19
Claude Monet, Water Lilies, 1916-19
Claude Monet, Water Lilies (3)
Claude Monet, Water Lilies (4)

It was also great to see Vincent van Gogh’s work in person. Below is The Flowering Orchard. He had such a distinct style. Almost cartoonish, yet with a strange sense of realism about it.

Vincent van Gogh, The Flowering Orchard, 1888
Vincent van Gogh, The Flowering Orchard, 1888
Vincent van Gogh, The Flowering Orchard (2)

Some other standouts were:

  • Alfred Sisley’s The Bridge at Villeneuve-la-Garenne. This painting appeared so fresh and crisp in person. And what a stunning frame. This exhibition was as much a showcase of frames as it was paintings.
Alfred Sisley, The Bridge at Villeneuve-la-Garenne, 1872
Alfred Sisley, The Bridge at Villeneuve-la-Garenne, 1872
Alfred Sisley, The Bridge at Villeneuve-la-Garenne (2)
  • Auguste Renoir’s A Young Girl with Daisies. Sitting Lady. A soft painting with many subtle color gradations. Each color appeared to melt into the next.
Auguste Renoir, A Young Girl with Daisies, 1889
Auguste Renoir, A Young Girl with Daisies, 1889
  • Paul Cézanne’s Gardanne. I have never been a huge fan of Cézanne’s work, but I found this painting to be very pleasing to the eye. I cannot explain why. Perhaps it’s the geometric theme. It just seems to work.
Paul Cezanne, Gardanne (2)
Paul Cezanne, Gardanne, 1885-92
  • Sir Joshua Reynolds’ Lady Smith (Charlotte Delaval) and Her Children (George Henry, Louisa, and Charlotte). The photo below does not do this painting justice. In person, the whites shimmered as if it were real satin.
Sir Joshua Reynolds, Lady Smith (Charlotte Delaval) and Her Children (George Henry, Louisa, and Charlotte), 1787
Sir Joshua Reynolds, Lady Smith (Charlotte Delaval) and Her Children (George Henry, Louisa, and Charlotte), 1787
  • Joseph Mallord William Turner’s Venice, From the Porch of Madonna Della Salute. Turner was such a dynamic painter. This painting showcases so many different techniques and styles united in one.
Joseph Mallord William Turner, Venice, From the Porch of Madonna Della Salute, c.1835
Joseph Mallord William Turner, Venice, From the Porch of Madonna Della Salute, c.1835
Joseph Mallord William Turner, Venice, From the Porch of Madonna Della Salute (2)
  • Marie Denise Villers’ Marie Joséphine Charlotte du Val d’Ognes. There was a wonderful sense of light in this one, as if Villers painted with light itself.
Marie Denise Villers, Marie Joséphine Charlotte du Val d'Ognes, 1801
Marie Denise Villers, Marie Joséphine Charlotte du Val d’Ognes, 1801

Here are the rest of my exhibition photos (click to enlarge):

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Thanks for Reading!

I appreciate you taking the time to read this post and I hope you found it helpful. Feel free to share it with friends.

Happy painting!

Dan Scott

Draw Paint Academy

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Dan Scott is the founder of Draw Paint Academy. He's a self-taught artist from Australia with a particular interest in landscape painting. Draw Paint Academy is run by Dan and his wife, Chontele, with the aim of helping you get the most out of the art life. You can read more on the About page.


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70 comments on “European Masterpieces – Monet, van Gogh, Rubens, Velázquez, and More”

    • You aare right, Dan, the origionals are much more exciting and the colours are brillent. I saw an exhibition of Van Gogh’s paintings in the Ottawa, Canada musium. Il love his paintings of irises. I also attended an exhibition of Monet’s in a Chicago musium of fine arts.
      Separate from your paintings attached, the Canadian Group of Seven are all very beautiful. Each artist has his/her own style and interpratations, The colours are beautiful. Check on line to view under ‘The Group of Seven’.

      Reply
    • Thank so much! I really enjoyed them all. I have been at the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam a few times but it is never enough. His style sometimes is different here and there it looks like so much depends on his moods. But yet so recognizable.Ingrid

      Reply
  1. Thank you for sharing these! In the painting of the nude woman, she looks oddly large in comparison with her surroundings.Care to comment?

    Reply
    • Je vous donne raison sur votre commentaire mais; il faut surtout regarder le travail de la femme en mouvement car elle a l’apparence d’une vraie femme qui travail tout les jours et allant se rafraichir de son travail, elle est vraiment très jolie et le peintre a vraiment été chercher les ombrage de perfection.
      Je n’ai pas de mots pour dire toute le travail de toutes ses belles photos
      Bernard

      Reply
  2. Thank you so much Dan, I miss going to exhibitions, so all the photos was almost as good as being there. And as someone else said, lovely to see your baby girl

    Reply
  3. Thanks for sharing. And for standing in line so long. A babe in arms is also a budding art enthusiast. I also have a greater appreciation for museum quality framing.

    Reply
  4. Thank you for ‘bringing the world’ into our homes. You have taken us all to a place we may not ever see in person!
    Beautiful baby.

    Reply
  5. As you say it is quite a different experience seeing paintings up close to reproduced in a book. I have always felt privileged to live in Europe and to have so many wonderful galleries close. I have spent much of my life travelling around not just the major city and country galleries but the smaller ones too. From Edinburgh to Madrid, Paris to Rome or Venice to Amsterdam, across the continent there is so much beauty and talent to explore.

    Reply
  6. LOVE this! Thank you for sharing the pics! It seems like it was a wonderful exhibit! I especially enjoyed the close-ups. I’ll be going to an Alphonse Mucha exhibit next week! I’m SO excited! 🙂

    Reply
  7. Thank you so much for sharing your museum visit with us! So many beautiful paintings! So much to learn and so much to admire gere!

    Reply
  8. Dan,
    Thank you so much for posting this. Beautiful images.

    Was this show in New Zealand or is this the one that was in Brisbane? Just curious as I have friends that attended the Brisbane show.

    Again – thank you. I thoroughly enjoyed these and will view them another couple of times.

    Gina in NC, USA

    Reply
  9. I was recently at the National Gallery in London. A great experience but one needs days if not weeks to take it all in, even if one concentrates on one’s favourite artists. It was great to see a van Gogh up close, even if it was behind glass.

    Reply
  10. Thanks for the show! My favorite is the Marie Denise Villers piece. It seems such a departure of style for the time. A bit playful and simple, but painted beautifully! You also seemed to share alot of playful pieces!

    Reply
    • I agree with Suzanne, the art is amazing and you are right, the frames are beautiful too. Sometimes I don’t know which is more beautiful, the art or the frame. I think the framer should also be noted.

      Reply
  11. Dan thank you for sharing the wonderful master pictures.l…it’s a way of teaching and learning from afar. you add so much for our art journey.

    Reply
  12. How wonderful to see these. I expanded the photos and devoured the details. Being housebound at my advanced age I am no longer am able to experience these in person, so this was the next best things. I do miss going to the National Gallery and elsewhere.
    Thank you so very much!

    Reply
  13. Thanks for your kind generosity in giving us so much information and helping us become better and more knowledgeable artists . I have benfitted a great deal and I sincerely thank you

    Reply
  14. Thank You Dan, You are so generous with your sharing of information and widening our views of
    technique, colour, subjects and artists through the ages. I went to a Monet Exhibition and was amazed at how his paintings changed depending on his life.

    Reply
  15. Thank you very much, Dan. Wonderful to see these again. Living in London and visiting France and Holland many times I have been oh so lucky to see some of these in their European homes…..but years and years ago. So inspiring.

    Reply
  16. Thank you, Dan. The works of those great masters are so good and each deserves individual study. I especially like the paintings by Cezanne, Manet, Van Gogh and Sisley.

    Reply
  17. Kudos to you Dan, you’ve done it again.
    Thank you for sharing your experience at such an inspiring exhibit.
    Being an artist is often a vulnerable path. You make something so deeply personal and then present it to the world with an open heart. Not everyone is so fearless. Thank you for reminding us of what’s possible.

    Reply
  18. Pictures 2 and 3 that I believe are by Monet and show a very textured under surface. I assume that this is to drag in broken line one coat over another. Because they are magnifications and most pictures are not this as a magnification of part of Constables Hay wain(copy of which I can send if you wish) are the first time that I have encountered this in reproductions. Would you care to comment.

    Reply
  19. Pictures 2 and 3 that I believe are by Monet show a very textured under surface. I assume that this is to drag in broken line one coat over another. Because they are magnifications and most pictures are not this as a magnification of part of Constables Hay wain(copy of which I can send if you wish) are the first time that I have encountered this in reproductions. Would you care to comment.

    Reply
  20. Thank you Dan – I so miss going to London to the galleries but hopefully it will soon feel safe again. To see the actual paintings is so inspiring. It is also great to see the actual brushstrokes up close. I really appreciate all your posts and have learnt so much, yet this is only the beginning of my artistic journey so I still have a lot of learning ahead of me.

    Reply
  21. Thank you.
    The light,unbelievable, wonder how many years it took for them achieve this.
    The materials on dresses,suits , the shine, silks,satins, lace velvet .
    Then the simplicity of some painting……may be we try to hard.
    How did they create ……..did the paints contain something ours donot ,the almost glowing feeling.
    Thank you again

    Reply
  22. Sylvia Keusch says,

    Dan, I so appreciate you sending a volume of Master artists paintings at one time to see and observe the techniques and styles of the Masters. I especially like to note and study how their composition on the canvas was made. I certainly have a lot to learn.

    Thank you for your encouragement.

    Reply
  23. Thanks for sharing not just techniques and painting suggestions but also your art experiences and observations, Dan. I love visiting galleries and museums personally or vicariously through the sharing of photos and videos. It’s inspirational as well as amazing.

    Reply
  24. Thank you so much for posting all these wonderful paintings. Such a treat on a rainy day in Florida.
    All the best,
    Kathe
    St. Augustine

    Reply
    • Kathe, I’m a snowbird. Just arrived to my winter place in Indian Harbour Beach. No rain here, but yesterday yes. I guess it moved up to your area. So, an 8am weather update for you…. sunshine is coming your way!
      It sure WAS a fantastic thing to see all these posted photos from Dan Scott. I want to go to the exhibit. Just lovely.
      Have a great day.

      Reply
  25. I would love to see these, but you didn’t give any information on the exhibition, like where is it and how long will run. I followed the link to the museum, but the site didn’t show any of this info either. It doesn’t even show that they are in Australia!

    Reply
  26. Thank you for sharing all that you saw. What a JOY to
    experience this through your eyes. I always feel like I
    Have been to a museum studying painting after your
    posts.
    THANK YOU,

    Reply
  27. Thank you so much for your generosity Dan. I have joined your Artists group on line. A friend of mine who lives in Brisbane has lined up for this wonderful exhibition but had to give up because of the crowd. So disappointing but now I can share your photographs with her.

    Reply
  28. Beautiful art, but you never trouble to inform us of the exhibition’s location. Your commentary is more about you than the paintings.

    Reply
  29. Originals are best. All your shots are fantastic. Many thanks for sharing. Had relative living in Paris was lucky to admire those famous paintings.

    Reply
  30. Dan, a cada visita que faço ao MASP/SP/Brasil, tenho a impressão que estou vendo os quadros pela primeira vez. Uma coisa inexplicável.
    Mais uma vez, obrigado.

    Reply
  31. Dan

    Thanks for sharing… Just spent 4 days in Arles, absorbing all that I could by being in Van Gogh’s neighborhood.
    Thanks for highlighting a lot of GREAT MASTERS.

    ed fox – ARTIST
    Hull, Massachusetts

    Reply

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