By Ligo Su
Jean-Francois Millet. Perhaps this name doesn’t strike you with vivid images or dramatic anecdotes like Leonardo da Vinci or Vincent van Gogh. However, Millet revolutionized the aerial perspective of da Vinci and inspired the humanistic compassion of van Gogh. And you can’t miss two of Millet’s most celebrated paintings in any art history textbook: The Gleaners and The Angelus. They are among the most valuable collections of the Musée d’Orsay and they have never left the museum since its foundation. Last December, the Musée d’Orsay decided to renovate the hall in which eighteen of Millet’s most representative paintings are exhibited. Museums and galleries around the world were all keen for the very first opportunity to borrow the Millet collection. Having worked with the Musée d’Orsay, our National Museum of History (NMH) also expressed interest. Ms. Shaw-Lan Wang, the media tycoon of United Daily News and the fashion magnate of Lanvin, who sponsored a previous collaboration with the Musée d’Orsay, also noticed her chance. Ms. Wang donated one million euros to help renovate the museum before the exhibition was granted to Taiwan. Working with a team from the NMH, Ms. Wang also had to convince the museum of the NMH’s professional capacity as well as the artistic literacy in Taiwan. To the world’s amazement, The Gleaners and The Angelus will both be lent to Taiwan, each insured for 100 million euros, or 4.7 billion NT. However, the chief curator of the NMH, Mr. Yung-Ch’uan Huang, aimed higher. “Taiwanese have seen countless masterpieces from all periods. Once you cultivate people’s taste, their appetite grows bigger,” explained Mr. Huang. “I asked the Musée d’Orsay to lend us their whole collection of Millet and other paintings of the Barbizon School.” Mr. Huang explained how bold it was not only to challenge the limits of a world-famous museum but also to shoulder the responsibility for more priceless paintings. Because of the humid summer weather in Taiwan and because of the long journey that the paintings must undergo, the Musée d’Orsay demanded higher exhibition standards, larger insurance coverage, and stricter transportation rules, all of which were agreed upon by the NMH and United Daily News. The museum granted the NMH their entire collection of Millet except for two paintings that are being restored. They’re also bringing forty-four other paintings from artists of the same school such as Corot and Rousseau, along with more than sixty old photographs taken in the same period. “This is beautiful. We are not exchanging anything with Musée d’Orsay and there is no official relation between Taiwan and France. However, mutual passion for the arts has realized this dream,” said Mr. Huang. “Beijing will hold the Olympics and Taipei will enjoy its own artistic feast. There is no competition but a celebration and sharing of arts.” Although the Musée d’Orsay is still skeptical about the artistic population in Taiwan, Mr. Huang is certain that more than one million visitors will attend the exhibition. “We have proven to the world our ability to hold such an exhibition. We will show them that we also have an educated people,” he observed. Mr. Huang thinks the size of a country can be decided not only by its population but also by its culture. Our land may be small but our minds surely aren’t. But why Millet? What’s so special about him? Some say his paintings marked a milestone in art history, some say his landscape captures the beauty of sunlight hues, and some say that his themes present the humility of peasant life. Mr. Huang is particularly interested in Millet’s subject matter, for the agrarian society in the nineteenth century also resembles Taiwan’s past. “Just as we work hard for the arts now, in the past we worked hard like Millet’s gleaners.” Only a couple of decades ago, Taiwanese were still striving to make ends meet, never foreseeing the material comforts we now enjoy. Taiwanese turned living rooms into factories and created miracles with their own hands. The paintings of Millet that feature peasants should remind the elderly of their past and educate the young about their history. Aligning with this theme, the NMH will display most of its permanent collection of mandarin history on the second floor. Moreover, a separate hall will be dedicated to the culture of early coffee houses in Taiwan. Old photos, antique furniture, and vintage paintings will accompany a café decorated in a mixed style of Japanese and European cultures. In the museum, visitors can look at the lotuses outside in the botanical garden while sipping their coffee. The National Museum of History seems quite ambitious. “This museum doesn’t have the biggest budget or collections, but its location, admission fees, and its size are accessible to people of every age and every walk of life,” said Mr. Huang. “However, our vision is not limited by our scope. Our publications and our exhibitions have won numerous awards. I believe that’s what our country should aim for, making the best out of what we have at hand.” Working with experts from France, Mr. Huang and his team have devised air screens, metal detectors, and thermal sensors to protect the paintings with the utmost perfection. For visitors’ convenience, audio guides have been prepared in Chinese, English, and Japanese. Moreover, the museum will open twelve hours daily from 9 AM to 9 PM to make sure this special exhibition won’t be too crowded. “For such long opening hours, we will work with the police and with security guards around the clock to ensure the safety of the paintings. No mistake is allowed to happen.” And we have more to look forward to from the museum. Towards the end of our interview, Mr. Huang informed me of an exhibition on Te-Chun Zhu, an 88-year-old painter from China who stayed in Taiwan for four years and then left for France. However, Mr. Huang kept the next event a secret. “You will know about it when the time comes!” he laughed. –Millet and His Time: Masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay will be held at the National Museum of History from May 31-September 5, 2008. –49 Nan-Hai Road, Taipei City (MRT Chiang-kai Shek Memorial Hall) –Ticket Prices: Adult 240 NT; Students 220 NT; Group Tickets: Buy nine get one free. Group tour guides available with advance reservation. a
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May 2024
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