Utrillo: Calm Beyond the Emotional Storm

The Sompo Museum of Art in Tokyo is hosting a monographic exhibition dedicated to Maurice Utrillo, a central figure of the École de Paris, renowned for his urban landscapes inspired by Montmartre and the outskirts of Paris. The exhibition features around seventy oil paintings from the collections of the Musée National d’Art Moderne in Paris, alongside a dozen archival materials on loan from the Association Maurice Utrillo. The exhibition is structured into three chronological sections: the so-called Montmagny Period, which began during Utrillo’s therapy for alcoholism, when he started painting often desolate urban scenes; the celebrated White Period, marked by whitewashed facades and poetic atmospheres achieved through a variety of techniques; and finally, the Color Period, distinguished by a vibrant and varied palette. Visitors can trace the stylistic evolution of an artist who turned personal difficulties into visionary urban views. The biographical context is explored through the influence of his relationship with his mother, Suzanne Valadon, and the ways in which alcoholism ultimately shaped his artistic production. Despite a turbulent life, Utrillo achieved lasting recognition thanks to his ability to capture the essence of the urban landscape with a sober and memorable visual language. In Japan, interest in Utrillo has been well established for decades, and this exhibition represents one of the most comprehensive presentations of his work in the country, both in terms of the number of works and the originality of the materials on display. The selected canvases highlight the artist’s compositional precision, tonal balance, and poetic sensitivity - qualities that continue to resonate with today’s audiences.