Idols. The Art of Anatolia and the Cyclades in the Bronze Age.

Exhibitions devoted to Cycladic art have not been held in France since 1984, and the cross-cultural approach between these two cultures is unprecedented. The exhibition also seeks to reveal the fruitful influence of their discovery on the artistic production of the first half of the 20th century (Brancusi, Giacometti, Zadkine, etc.). Nearly 65 pieces from the Louvre, including the famous head of Keros, and more than 30 objects from French and European museums (Germany, Switzerland, Belgium) are exceptionally brought together at the Musée Fenaille until October 17. This selection showcases iconic pieces and a group of works with singular forms that are still largely unknown to the general public.

The Idols exhibition takes a cross-examination of Anatolian and Cycladic statuettes at the turn of the Chalcolithic and Bronze Ages. Cycladic idols are well known for their so-called modern beauty; those from Anatolia share the same taste for a synthetic representation of the human figure. The exhibition aims to highlight the commonalities and specificities, the complex exchanges and cultural influences between these two neighboring regions while questioning the notion of "idol." This type of approach has never been the subject of dedicated exhibitions. In the extension of these comparisons, the exhibition will evoke the fruitful influence of Cycladic idols on the artistic production of the years 1900-1950 through some confrontations with iconic works by Brancusi, Giacometti, Zadkine…