A catalogue of drawings by Northern European artists in the collection of the Musée des Beaux-Arts d’Orléans has been published on the occasion of the recently opened exhibition Étoiles du Nord (until 22 September).
Largely unknown to the general public and art historians, the Orléans collection comprises some 900 drawings by Dutch, Flemish, German, Austrian, English, Swiss and Swedish artists from the Renaissance to the nineteenth century. A selection of more than 150 drawings, most of which have never been shown to the public, is presented in the exhibition.
The catalogue raisonné by David Mandrella, a specialist in Dutch and Flemish art, is the result of several years of research. It includes entries and reproductions of all of the drawings in the collection, from Goltzius to Jongkind, through Rubens, Jordaens and Spranger.
Étoiles du Nord also pays tribute to collectors such as Aignan Thomas Desfriches (1715-1800) and Paul Fourché (1840-1922), who brought their love of northern artists to Orléans and helped to create one of the most important public collections of drawings in the region.
Cover of Étoiles du Nord
Étoiles du Nord. Catalogue des dessins des écoles du Nord du musée des Beaux-Arts d’Orléans
David Mandrella
Paris (Le Passage) 2024
ISBN 9782847425192