The exhibition Tout est lumière at Villa Flora of the Kunst Museum Winterthur showcases French painting from the 19th and 20th centuries. The exhibition brings together paintings, watercolours and drawings by Paul Cezanne, Vincent van Gogh, Pierre Bonnard, Henri Matisse and other artists who, from the mid-19th century onwards, were drawn from the cities to the French Mediterranean coast.
On the Riviera, they discovered a largely unpainted maritime nature and developed new forms of expression, breaking away from old traditions and advancing the move towards modernism in the light of the South. The younger generation of artists followed this principle, seeking to sharpen their senses and develop their art in the light of the south.
The collector couple Hedy and Arthur Hahnloser also found a second home in the mild climate. From 1923 onwards, they spent the winter months in Cannes, where they engaged in lively exchanges with their artist friends.
Tout est lumière is a tribute to the light of the South – to the artists who found their freedom in it, and to Hedy and Arthur Hahnloser, who carried the light of the South forward in their collection.