The extensive and impressive collection of European art at the Dallas Museum of Art is part of its global collection of more than 24,000 works spanning 5,000 years of history.
The collection features numerous notable French artists including Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley, Paul Signac, Claude Monet, Gustave Courbet, Eugène Delacroix, Nicolas Mignard, Jean-Baptiste Greuze, and André Derain.
French-American Cultural Foundation Executive Director Debra Dunn recently toured the museum. Unfortunately she was unable to view the Reves Collection which includes five rooms and art from Coco Chanel‘s Villa La Pausa.
Villa La Pausa was built in 1927 as a Riviera retreat for Coco Chanel. It was purchased by Emery Reves in 1953. Over the years, the estate has hosted countless famous individuals including artists, actors, and politicians.
In 1985, Wendy Reves organized the gift of her late husband’s collection to the Dallas Museum of Art to honor his memory. Five rooms in the exhibit mirror their counterparts at La Pausa, capturing both the design and the mood of original owner Coco Chanel’s and Wendy and Emery Reveses’ home. Furthermore, the paintings, books, and furniture are displayed in the Reves’ wing as they were in La Pausa.
The La Pausa exhibit is in a smaller gallery that is not capable of complying with social distancing standards, and therefore was temporarily closed due to COVID-19. But it is one of many reasons to return to the museum for another tour in the future.
Please enjoy these highlights from the visit. The DMA European Art collection can also be viewed on the museum’s website.
