Presenting more than 80 works by 45 artists this exhibition aims to highlight the work of women in painting and sculpture, who were part of the thriving artistic milieu after the Second World War. Including Vieira da Silva, Marcelle Cahn, Christine Boumeester, Alicia Penalba, Marie Raymond, Jacqueline Pavlowsky, Huguette Arthur Bertrand, Maria Manton, Jan Elvire, and Natalia Dumitresco who embodied the post-war artistic revival, often supported by influential and progressive women art dealers Denise René, Colette Allendy, Nina Dausset, Lydia Conti, Florence Bank, and Nina Dausset.

The post-war air of liberation in painting echoed the claims of Simone de Beauvoir (Le Deuxiéme Sexe, 1949), that for centuries, theology, philosophy and human sciences maintained an implicit image of the fragile, emotional and irrational woman. This exhibition hopes to highlight the factual and precious truth, which previously failed to account for a balance between men and women.

Curated by: Benoît Decron, heritage chief curator and director of the EPCC Musée Soulages, Rodey and Daniel Ségala, author and collector, assisted by Christophe Hazemann, deputy director of Musée Soulages

 

Catalogue: published by Hazan Editions