Facing Modernity: 37 European Modernist Masterpieces Debut in Shepparton, Australia
On May 23, 2026, the Shepparton Art Museum unveiled the exhibition Facing Modernity: Degas to Picasso, which features 37 artworks, including paintings and sculptures, from the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki. This showcase presents masterpieces by renowned artists such as Rodin, Picasso, Braque, Degas, Gauguin, Cézanne, and Dalí, reflecting a century of diverse artistic movements. A significant highlight is the contribution from New York collectors Julian and Josie Robertson, which enriched Auckland's modern art collection following Julian's passing in 2023. Notable pieces include Cézanne's 1875 work, Derain's Fauvist landscape, and Matisse's The Spanish Woman (1922). The exhibition will be on display until September 20, 2026.
Key facts
- Thirty-seven works from Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki are on display at Shepparton Art Museum from 23 May to 20 September 2026.
- The exhibition marks the first time these European modernist works have been seen in Australia.
- Featured artists include Rodin, Picasso, Braque, Degas, Gauguin, Cézanne, Dalí, Matisse, Derain, Epstein, Mondrian, and Frankenthaler.
- New York philanthropists Julian and Josie Robertson donated a substantial collection to Auckland Art Gallery, with fifteen works included in this show.
- The bequest was formalised following Julian Robertson's death in 2023.
- Sophie Matthiesson of Auckland Art Gallery said the Robertsons feared the works would end up in a New York museum basement.
- The exhibition was preceded by Paths to Modernity at Auckland Art Gallery, which drew nearly 500,000 visitors between 2024 and 2026.
- Shepparton Art Museum is located in a regional city of fewer than 50,000 people.
Entities
Artists
- Auguste Rodin
- Pablo Picasso
- Georges Braque
- Edgar Degas
- Paul Gauguin
- Paul Cézanne
- Salvador Dalí
- Henri Matisse
- André Derain
- Duncan Grant
- Vanessa Bell
- Henri Fantin-Latour
- Jacob Epstein
- Piet Mondrian
- Helen Frankenthaler
- Julian Robertson
- Josie Robertson
- Sophie Matthiesson
- Kirsten Lacy
- Victoria Hynes
- Pierre Bonnard
- Albert Dubois-Pillet
- Len Lye
- Frances Hodgkins
- Eileen Mayo
- Berthe Morisot
- Mary Cassatt
- Dora Maar
- Marie-Thérèse Walter
Institutions
- Shepparton Art Museum
- Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki
- Auckland Art Gallery Foundation
- Mackelvie Trust Collection
- Shepparton Art Museum (SAM)
- National Gallery of Victoria (NGV)
- Musée Picasso-Paris
- Aotearoa Foundation
Locations
- Shepparton
- Australia
- Auckland
- New Zealand
- New York
- United States
- Aix-en-Provence
- France
- L'Estaque
- Sydney
- Victoria
- Aotearoa New Zealand
- Christchurch