Opening on June 19, 2025, the Museum of Art Pudong (MAP) unveils its annual flagship international exhibition, "Paths to Modernity: Masterpieces from the Musée d'Orsay, Paris." As the largest exhibition ever mounted by the Musée d'Orsay in China, "Paths to Modernity" gathers the museum's core collection for a one-stop-only global showcase, making it a once-in-a-generation event. The exhibition assembles over 100 masterpieces of French art from the 1840s to the early 20th century, encompassing nearly all major artistic movements represented in the Musée d'Orsay's collections—from Academicism to Realism and Naturalism, through Impressionism and Neo-Impressionism, to Post-Impressionism and the Nabis. Together, these works compose a grand artistic panorama transcending time and space. Masters including Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, Jean-François Millet, Paul Cézanne, Paul Gauguin, Édouard Manet, Edgar Degas, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Gustave Courbet and Georges Seurat converge with ground-breaking, authentic works that pioneered modern artistic language, collectively embodying the avant-garde spirit and artistic revolution that led from Classicism to Modernity.

As an iconic global destination for art lovers, the Musée d'Orsay represents a supreme aspiration for everyone—from European locals to international visitors, and from art novices to seasoned collectors. This exhibition, the culmination of years of exemplary collaboration between the Musée d'Orsay, Paris and Museum of Art Pudong, adopts a unique narrative that traces the dynamic interplay between artistic innovation and social transformation in France from 1848 to 1914. Structured into five thematic sections, it constructs a visual epic about "The Birth of Modernity" for visitors, encouraging them to reconsider the trajectory of artistic development through both historical and socio-cultural perspectives. Through a focus on painting, while incorporating sculpture, the exhibition comprehensively showcases the parallel development and intertwined evolution of diverse artistic ideas and creative methods during this period. Audiences can fulfill their dream of "stepping into the Musée d'Orsay" without leaving China.

"Paths to Modernity" brings together the most representative masters of the Musée d'Orsay and their seminal works. Key highlights from the collection include Van Gogh's Bedroom in Arles and Self-Portrait by Vincent van Gogh; The Gleaners by Jean-François Millet; Tahitian Women (also known as On the Beach) by Paul Gauguin; Stacks of Wheat, End of Summer by Claude Monet; Émile Zola by Édouard Manet; The Dance Foyer at the Opera on the rue Le Peletier by Edgar Degas; Young Girls at the Piano by Pierre-Auguste Renoir; Portrait of Madame Cézanne by Paul Cézanne; The White Cat by Pierre Bonnard; Women at the Well. Opus 238 by Paul Signac; and The Birth of Venus by Alexandre Cabanel. The exhibition also features over twenty significant sculptures, including Victor Hugo by Auguste Rodin, the founder of modern sculpture, Degas's bronze sculptures from his "Dancer" series, and wood carvings from Gauguin's Tahitian period.

The exhibition is curated by renowned art historian and Scientific Advisor to the President of Musée d'Orsay, Stéphane Guégan. A key curatorial highlight is its move beyond the traditional isolation of masterpieces, instead juxtaposing them with works that share formal specifics or subject matters. The exhibition design, meticulously crafted by acclaimed French scenographer Cécile Degos, draws inspiration from the iconic interior architecture of the Musée d'Orsay. Combined with the spatial structure of Museum of Art Pudong, it creates an immersive viewing experience that evokes the sensation of being inside the museum in Paris itself, where familiar light, shadow, and curves reappear on the banks of the Huangpu River. To further recreate the Musée d'Orsay's unique atmosphere, the concourse is adorned with an image of its emblematic giant clock, providing a popular photo spot and extending the immersive feeling beyond the galleries.

"Paths to Modernity: Masterpieces from the Musée d'Orsay" is organised by Musée d'Orsay, Paris and Museum of Art Pudong, and produced by Shanghai Lujiazui Development (Group) Company Limited. This exhibition is exclusively sponsored by Lancôme and supported by the Consulate General of France in Shanghai. It has been included in the 2025 Croisements Festival.