Pinault Collection Lends 10 British Artists to Rouen Museum

François Pinault's collection has entered a year-long partnership with the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rouen, depositing ten works by British artists until June 2020. The exhibition, titled 'So British!', features pieces by Gilbert & George, Damien Hirst, Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, Nigel Cooke, Paul Fryer, Thomas Houseago, David Nash, Keith Tyson, Jonathan Wateridge, and Toby Ziegler. Each work is juxtaposed with historical collections, creating dialogues between contemporary and old masters. For instance, Gilbert & George's 'Cry' (1984) faces a 16th-century stained glass depiction of the Last Judgment, while Hirst's 'Dark Soul' (2006) is paired with Otto Marseus van Schrieck's 18th-century still life. The initiative, described by general director Jean-Jacques Aillagon as an unprecedented cooperative deposit, aims to highlight cultural ties between continental Europe and Britain amid Brexit. The Pinault Collection, which already operates Palazzo Grassi and Punta della Dogana in Venice, continues to expand its public presence ahead of the Bourse de Commerce opening in Paris, renovated by Tadao Ando.