Despite what its title suggests, Vincent van Gogh’s The Siesta is rife with movement. The hay field ripples with shimmering shades of gold, and the clothes of the snoozing farmers rustle with the breeze.
The Siesta is Van Gogh’s interpretation of an 1866 canvas by Jean-Francois Millet. However, where Millet’s version is honed with realist sensibilities, Van Gogh’s takes on the peaceful scene with feverish intensity. The work was painted between 1889 and 1890, during the time Van Gogh was interned at an asylum in the French commune of Saint-Remy-de-Provence.
It is a potent example of the alchemy that preoccupied the post-impressionist painters – to take a scene and transmute it with an almost mystical flair through unconventional techniques and colour choices.
The Siesta is one of three works by Van Gogh to be featured in a new exhibition at Louvre Abu Dhabi.
Running until February 9, Post-Impressionism: Beyond Appearances brings together a collection of masterpieces that offers a sharp insight into one of history's most affecting artistic eras. It also shows how the legacy of the post-impressionists was not limited to Europe and even touched on the Middle East.
The exhibition, developed in partnership with Musee d’Orsay and France Museums, is put together by Jean-Remi Touzet, curator of paintings at Musee d’Orsay, and Jerome Farigoule, chief curator at Louvre Abu Dhabi.
Post-Impressionism: Beyond Appearances comes exactly two years after Impressionism: Pathways to Modernity. The 2022 exhibition at Louvre Abu Dhabi showed how a group of painters that included Claude Monet, Alfred Sisley and Pierre-Auguste Renoir ventured out of the studio to paint outdoors. In the process, they challenged the artistic norms of the time and the conventions of the rigid 19th-century Paris Salon, which was the official exhibitor of the storied Academie des Beaux-Arts and the then-gatekeeper of the art world.
The post-impressionists were just as revolutionary. They were not so much a movement as a network of artists with similar interests and principles, whose careers often converged with camaraderie as well as drama.
A foundational figure of the post-impressionists was Georges Seurat. The painter was one of the first to want to venture beyond the tenets of impressionism. For one thing, he opted to not mix his colours on his palette, but rather divide them on the canvas and let the eye blend them instead.
This pointillist technique is seen in Seurat’s Port-en-Bassein, Outer Harbour, High Tide. The 1888 painting shows a seascape off the Normandy village after which it is named. From afar, the vibrant view is seen with a grainy texture, perhaps evoking the sensation of a light mist during the day. Approach the canvas and the colours separate with molecular grace, and you begin seeing varying shades of brown, red, blue and green. Even the frame itself is painted a deep navy blue and with dots of pink, red and ochre. The frame seems to be an important part of the work – presenting the scene with the dramatic flair of a theatre curtain.
Port-en-Bassein was produced just two years after the 1886 exhibition at Rue Laffitte which marked the end of impressionism and the beginning of a new movement.
“The impressionists were divided by then,” Touzet says. "Some of them wanted to go in the official salon, like Monet, he wanted to get more recognition. Whereas others, like Edgar Degas, wanted to remain independent.”
The post-impressionists took their cue from the latter, cherishing their independence and taking it as an opportunity to experiment and push the envelope that the impressionists had put down. Not that the salon would have accepted them anyway.
“A lot of them were self taught,” Touzet says. “In 1884, the impressionist groups created a new salon called the exhibition of independence. It was a free jury, so everyone could exhibit their work. There were a lot of artists, and not all so good. But the Salon des Independants was very important for all the avant garde and Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin and other artists exhibited here.”
The post-impressionists often tried to find new avenues to present their works, such as cafes, further seeking to break the conventions of the art world of the time. The exhibition takes a cue from this decentralised spirit in its scenography. There are sections dedicated to Van Gogh, Gaugin, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Paul Cezanne, among others.
However, visitors can navigate these spaces in several ways as the galleries branch out from a central rotunda. Go left, and you'll be in the section dedicated to Cezanne, with a series of works that include Mont Sainte-Victoire, a painting dedicated to the mountain that was a lifelong inspiration to the artist.
Ahead is Van Gogh’s wing, where you’ll find his fabled Bedroom in Arles, with mystifying and alluring furniture depictions that break from realistic angles of perception. Toulouse-Lautrec’s section features the motley cabaret and theatre performers the artist was famous for depicting. In the section dedicated to Gaugin, you'll find his famous Arearea, a case study of the artist's penchant for mixing cultural motifs that were foreign to him.
This free mobility between the sections is a somewhat novel structure for an exhibition at Louvre Abu Dhabi. Moving away from a linear approach serves the exhibition well, particularly as it helps visitors understand the points of connection between the artists and how they influenced one another, to truly see them as "a constellation" more than a movement, says Aisha Al Ahmadi, curatorial assistant at Louvre Abu Dhabi.
“This exhibition is the first of its kind in the region, but abroad, there have been multiple post-impressionist exhibitions,” Al Ahmadi says. “We wanted a fresh way to present the content. You have freedom to move in and out of the sections.”
The central rotunda also features an interactive console that delves into the histories of each of the post-impressionist artists. Their palettes are also displayed, meaning visitors are just a pane away from the wooden slabs that these masters used to paint.
“The mediation table is content heavy,” Al Ahmadi says. “It allows you to read a little bit about the different sections and then decide where you want to go next. We're focusing on different styles and different artists who were working at the same time period, but not necessarily a part of the same movement. They didn't consider themselves a movement. They were sending real letters to each other. They were exhibiting sometimes together. They were giving each other guidance. They were friends turned enemies. There was a lot of drama and mystery around the group.”
Towards the end of the exhibition, two works by the French-Egyptian artist Georges Hanna Sabbagh are displayed. The two paintings were created in 1920 and 1921 and feature the artist and his family, albeit depicted in a manner that draws from post-impressionist styles. It isn’t surprising, given Sabbagh studied with figures from the post-impressionist group Les Nabis, including Paul Serusier and Felix Vallotton.
“These are some of the later paintings that we have in the exhibition,” Al Ahmadi says. “We wanted to essentially talk about the true influence of post Impressionism, and do something that the Louvre Abu Dhabi always tries to do, which is to broaden the art history canon.”
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
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Keep it fun and engaging
Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.
“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.
His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.
He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
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Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
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PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Neil Thomson – THE BIO
Family: I am happily married to my wife Liz and we have two children together.
Favourite music: Rock music. I started at a young age due to my father’s influence. He played in an Indian rock band The Flintstones who were once asked by Apple Records to fly over to England to perform there.
Favourite book: I constantly find myself reading The Bible.
Favourite film: The Greatest Showman.
Favourite holiday destination: I love visiting Melbourne as I have family there and it’s a wonderful place. New York at Christmas is also magical.
Favourite food: I went to boarding school so I like any cuisine really.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Best Academy: Ajax and Benfica
Best Agent: Jorge Mendes
Best Club : Liverpool
Best Coach: Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Best Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker
Best Men’s Player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Best Partnership of the Year Award by SportBusiness: Manchester City and SAP
Best Referee: Stephanie Frappart
Best Revelation Player: Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid and Portugal)
Best Sporting Director: Andrea Berta (Atletico Madrid)
Best Women's Player: Lucy Bronze
Best Young Arab Player: Achraf Hakimi
Kooora – Best Arab Club: Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Kooora – Best Arab Player: Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al-Nassr FC, Saudi Arabia)
Player Career Award: Miralem Pjanic and Ryan Giggs
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
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Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Dunki
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The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Simran
Director Hansal Mehta
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Soham Shah, Esha Tiwari Pandey
Three stars
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Abramovich London
A Kensington Palace Gardens house with 15 bedrooms is valued at more than £150 million.
A three-storey penthouse at Chelsea Waterfront bought for £22 million.
Steel company Evraz drops more than 10 per cent in trading after UK officials said it was potentially supplying the Russian military.
Sale of Chelsea Football Club is now impossible.
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