Inspired And Multiplied – Six Paris Museums Dedicate Exhibitions To The Work Of Yves Saint Laurent

Installation view of “Yves Saint Laurent aux musées,” 2022, at Musée d’Art Moderne, Paris. Three paintings by Pierre Bonnard are shown with two Bonnard-inspired YSL garments from 2001. PHOTO: ©NICOLAS MATHÉUS Via Artnews

It's been a good twenty years since the final Yves Saint Laurent show back in 2002. Then it's a worthwhile wait because the first room of the six museum strong exhibition in honour of the artist opens with a recreation of this magical affair. A series of expert sketches rekindle the flow and elegance of the display while remaining true to the media. Through suggestion the viewer can place themselves in the room with the reality. Of course, this primary exhibition is to be found at the Musée Yves Saint Laurent.


Five other prominent Paris venues are also displaying resonating works to compliment and harmonise with this remembrance. Moving past the first room in the Musée, visitors can expect to be greeted by some true artefacts from the Yves Saint Laurent collection. The designer's creative process is outlined as selections of fabrics, designs, shapes, and decorations are explained with various cabinets and media.


It's widely known the Yves Saint Laurent paid many homages to the Spanish painter Pablo Picasso. Famous for his abstractions and impressionism, the theories and schemas portrayed by the artist often found themselves represented in the fashion world. At the Musée Picasso in Paris, the combination of the two creators are demonstrated in highlighting exhibitions. Now we can be drawn along the line of the YSL legacy and discover how Picasso often found his way into the clothing and designs.


No multi-venue Paris exhibition would be complete without a section within the legendary Louvre. Among many national treasures and hugely significant masterpieces, one of France's biggest cultural names surely has a rightful place. And what a place, the Yves Saint Laurent section has been assembled in the Galerie D'Apollon. The place where the French Crown Jewels are kept, this historical building is housing an avenue that shows the luxurious background which swept in and around everything Yves Saint Laurent did. The jewellery and royalty inspired designs by the artist are selected and put on show next to some of the most precious objects in the realm.


One huge influence in the private life of Yves Saint Laurent was the work of Proust. Being a defining factor in the way the designer formed his own thoughts, this subconscious seed manifested in several ways through his expert creations. The book In Search Of Lost Time was a particular piece that YSL is known to have read at a relatively young age. The Musée d'Orsay is playing its role by highlighting several pieces that echo with the archetypes left behind by this seminal work.


Something that Yves Saint Laurent is famous for is “Putting Colour in Motion” (Art News). At the Musée d'art moderne this aspect of the designer's career is given full view. In the Bonnard room, visitors can find the painter's masterpieces The Garden and The Lunch shown in dim lighting next to some of Yves Saint Laurent's creations. Further rooms define the designer's influences through works by Lucio Fontana and Raoul Dufy.


Hugely influenced by other artists, the designer had in fact helped make some painters much more accessible than they were before. One example of this staircase effect is the cocktail dress designed to resemble work by Piet Mondrian. This and other works that identified with need-to-know artists are exhibited too. In order to see this collection visitors need to travel to the Centre Pompidou. Curated by Mouna Mekouar and Stephan Janson, with the help of Pierre Bergé of the Yves Saint Laurent Foundation, it's essential viewing for YSL fans and those who want to find out more about the designer's lifestyle.  

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Photo: Yves Saint Laurent: 16x12in | Find this and many more on Art.com