Poussin's Modernity Explored in Monaco Exhibition Featuring 30 Contemporary Artists

At Monaco's Villa Paloma, an exhibition titled 'Le sentiment de la nature' juxtaposes nearly ten rarely seen 17th-century paintings by Nicolas Poussin with works by approximately thirty contemporary artists, primarily Italian. Curator Guillaume de Sardes orchestrates dialogues between Poussin's landscapes and contemporary pieces, including sculptures by Fausto Melotti, Latifa Echakhch, and a special creation by Giulio Paolini. Paintings by Pierre Lesieur, Giuseppe Penone, and Pier Paolo Calzolari also feature prominently. Poussin's works, such as 'Paysage de Grottaferrata' (c. 1626) and 'L'Orage' (c. 1651), are loaned from the Musée Fabre in Montpellier and the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rouen, alongside pieces from private collections. The exhibition spans three floors, organizing content around landscape elements like seascapes, deserts, mountains, flowers, and butterflies. A notable inclusion is Poussin's 'Hannibal traversant les Alpes à dos d'éléphant' (1625) from Monaco's princely collections. Contemporary highlights include Thomas Demand's large-scale photograph, Bruno Pélassy's untitled 2001 work, and Christo and Jeanne Claude's 'Running Fence' (c. 1970). The show runs until May 25, 2026, at the Nouveau Musée National de Monaco's Villa Paloma venue.