Who was Edgard Chahine? In Paris in the early 1900s he was more famous than Bonnard. A draughtsman lionised by the beau monde, an engraver of dazzling technical skill, an illustrator of works by Huysmans and Barrès, he was a close friend of Anatole France and would (up to 1926) exhibit at every Venice Biennale. But with the end of the Belle Epoque, his career would go into decline. By the time of his death in 1947, Chahine was a forgotten figure.
The Print Cabinet at Ca’ Pesaro has more than sixty works by the artist, some donated directly by Chahine, some acquired during the Biennales at which he exhibited. These works reflect his achievements during his ‘golden period’ – from 1900 to 1920 – and a selection of those dedicated to Parisian themes is on display in this exhibition. This event marks the beginning at Ca’ Pesaro of a project that has already worked with such success at Ca’ Rezzzonico: periodic events intended to make the vast collections of the Musei Civici Veneziani available to the public .
The exhibition is included in the normal admission price. Open at usual museum hours (*), it will continue up to 24 February 2008.