Gustave Moreau: Salomé and the femme fatale

Gustave Moreau (1826–1898) was a master of the Symbolist movement, known for his portrayals of mythological and biblical subjects. Late 19th century France was a time of developing industry and the emergence of Realism and Materialism. It was an era when Moreau strove to seek truth by capturing a fantastical inner world on canvas. This exhibition features about 70 oil paintings, watercolors, and sketches on loan from the Gustave Moreau Museum in Paris, focusing primarily on Moreau’s female portraiture. Salomé gazes at the specter of John the Baptist’s head in the masterpiece The Apparition, while The Unicorns brings to life the titular magical creature—a symbol of purity. From femme fatales in myths and the Bible leading men to their death, to vulnerable women seduced into their own downfall, to Moreau’s mother and his lover, this exhibition offers an exploration of the stories behind these women and Moreau’s relationships with them, examining his artistic inspiration from a new perspective.