Los Modernos Exhibition

During the 1930s and beyond, Mexico did indeed fascinate French painters, and many, such as the surrealist André Breton, the photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, and the modern painter Jean Charlot, spent time there.

This exhibition attempts to draw parallels and to reveal both the hybridisations and deviations embodied within the artistic sensibilities and works produced by French and Mexican painters, as well as the major movements that inspired them: neo-impressionism, Fauvism, cubism, surrealism, abstraction and more. A wonderful opportunity to gain a better understanding of the Mexican art scene, which drew at once inspiration from its own Aztec traditions and those of France, from which it was later able to gradually free itself.

Boasting 380 works of art by major painters from the first half of the 20th century, this is indeed an impressively rich exhibition for both the French: Georges Braque, Pierre Bonnard, Henri Matisse, André Derain, Maria Banchard, Fermand Léger, Albert Gleizes, Robert Delaun

ay, Francis Bacon, Pierre Soulages, and Mexican art scene: Gerardo Murillo (Dr Atl), José Clemente Orozco, Diego rivera, Carlos Mérida, German Cueto, David Alfaro siquieros, Rufino Tamayo, Maria Izquierdo, Fridha Kalho, Mathias Goeritz. 

The museological setup of the exhibition also makes it easy for viewers to locate the origin of paintings: French on a white background and Mexican on an ochre background.

A large part of this exhibition is devoted to 20th-century photography, and compares the points of view of French, Mexican and North American photographers. Here we also learn that Mexico has long produced a wide array of masks and puppets, and that many have even been painted by some of the country’s greatest artists, several magnificent specimens of which are included in the exhibition.

Finally, artefacts, herbaria, stuffed animals and 17 old films of former museum collections based in Lyon show us how Mexico was portrayed in French museums during this post-colonial era.

This is an enthralling, rich and highly instructive exhibition. Don’t miss it!

Access to the museum and its exhibition is included in the Lyon City Card

Exhibition-related events

• Guided tours of the exhibition will be available in English at 12:30 pm on Saturdays, on the 27th January, and on the 10th and 24th February.
• Late openings: from 6 pm to 10 pm : > Exceptional: the museum will be open until 10 pm on Thursday 1st, Friday 2nd and Saturday 3rd March, with visits at 6:30 pm, 7 pm, 8 pm and 8:30 pm.> Literary evening: poetry and surrealism in France and Mexico on Friday 2nd February.

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