Le Sentiment de la Nature Contemporary Art in the Mirror of Poussin

13.02.2026 - 25.05.2026 / Villa Paloma

In Pierre Rosenberg’s opinion, Nicolas Poussin was the first painter to focus, not on the landscape, but on nature, and he did so with a lyricism that only intensified throughout his career. Poussin led the way and something of his “sense of nature” was passed on to following generations, among whom Gaspard Dughet and Joseph Vernet. But what is the situation today? At a time when ecological anxiety dominates our societies, are there any artists left who can depict nature with the same lyricism? That is the question that the exhibition wishes to explore with presentations of classical paintings alongside contemporary works: sculptures, photographs, videos, film, paintings and drawings.

These juxtapositions focus primarily—though not exclusively—on a Franco-Italian dialogue. They center on iconographic subjects that are the very ones found in the paintings of Poussin and his followers. The exhibition is organized into six sections: storms and nights; forests and gardens; seascapes and waterfalls; deserts and volcanoes; hills and mountains; flowers and butterflies.

With works by Roger Ackling, Michelangelo Antonioni, Anne-Lise Broyer, Giorgio Andreotta Calò, Pier Paolo Calzolari, Christo et Jeanne-Claude, Bruce Davidson, Thomas Demand, Gustave Doré, Gaspard Dughet, Latifa Echakhch, Tim Eitel, Ed van der Elsken, Ilse et Pierre Garnier, Nan Goldin, Andreas Gursky, Suzanne Husky, Mimmo Jodice, Pierre Joseph, Ange Leccia, Pierre Lesieur, Fausto Melotti, Mario Merz, Sarah Moon, Giulio Paolini, Claudio Parmiggiani, Bruno Pélassy, Giuseppe Penone, Nicolas Poussin, Anting Qiu, Walter Robinson, Torbjørn Rødland, Anne-Laure Sacriste, Christophe Sarlin, Pierre Thoretton, Pierre-Henri de Valenciennes, Joseph Vernet, Marine Wallon…

The exhibition is accompanied by a catalog published by Humboldt.


Curated by Guillaume de Sardes
Exhibition design: Christophe Martin

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