Encounter Pablo Picasso's compelling cubist paintings, masterpieces by Georges Braque and Fernand Léger, and early works by Paul Klee and Joan Miró. Presenting an extensive collection of masterpieces from the LaM - Lille Métropole Musée d'art moderne, d'art contemporain et d'art brut, accompanied by important loans from Centre Pompidou and Musée Picasso in Paris, the exhibition offers a rare opportunity to experience so many significant works of Western European modernism together in Denmark.   

You can also enjoy works by the Italian painter Amedeo Modigliani, whose captivating portraits have thrilled audiences for generations.   

"We are incredibly proud to give the people of Aarhus and our other guests the opportunity to get up close to works by some of the greatest painters of the twentieth century. The exhibition will provide new and exciting perspectives on modernism - both for those who are familiar with art history and for those introduced to the period for the very first time,” says Rebecca Matthews, Museum Director at ARoS.  

The exhibition underscores the nuanced nature of the narrative of modernism by delving into lesser-known groups of works considered as Art Brut, Naïve Art and Spiritualism, providing a unique opportunity to gain deeper insight into an important and beloved period in art history.   

Visitors can look forward to an impressive number of works by modernism's most recognized masters alongside works by artists from the period who have not traditionally been part of the Western art historical canon. In this way, the exhibition provides a nuanced perspective on modernism by including a wide range of artistic voices.   

Picasso, Miró, Léger - and the Many Voices of Modernism takes you on a journey back in time, to Paris in the beginning of the 20th century to the aftermath of the Second World War; a period characterised by seismic change and radical developments by the artistic avant-garde. The works in the exhibition were created in a time of social and political upheaval that has many parallels with the present day.  

Works collected by a pioneer among French art collectors  
The exhibition showcases the private art collection of the French collector Roger Dutilleul, which he built up through close friendships with artists in Paris during the first half of the twentieth century. The collection includes celebrated paintings by Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró and Fernand Léger alongside lesser-known works by self-taught artists such as André Bauchant and Louis Vivin. 
   
Dutilleul left his collection to his nephew, Jean Masurel, who had inherited his uncle's passion for art. Masurel added more works to Dutilleul's unique collection and later donated it to the urban community of Lille in northern France, where a museum was built to exhibit the works; what is known today as the LaM in Villeneuve d’Ascq. Another major donation by L’Aracine Association in 1999 brought works by Aloïse Corbaz, Augustin Lesage and Madge Gill to the collection. 

Picasso, Miró, Léger - and the Many Voices of Modernism is organised in collaboration with the LaM - Lille Métropole Musée d'art moderne, d'art contemporain et d'art brut, which has one of the most extensive collections of art from the 20th century in France.   

The exhibition is curated by Jakob Vengberg Sevel, curator at ARoS, and Jeanne-Bathilde Lacourt, curator of Modern Art at the LaM.   

Picasso, Miró, Léger - and the Many Voices of Modernism is on view at ARoS’ Level 5 from April 5 to September 28, 2025.  

The exhibition is accompanied by a richly illustrated catalogue with highlights from the exhibition and texts by Jakob Vengberg Sevel, curator at ARoS, and Jeanne-Bathilde Lacourt and Savine Faupin, curators at the LaM. 

The exhibition is realised with generous support from the Aage and Johanne Louis-Hansen's Foundation, Lars Larsens Jysk Foundation, Beckett Foundation, Aarhuus Stiftstidende’s Foundation, Axel Muusfeldt’s Foundation, Hoffmann and Husman’s Foundation, Queen Margrethe’s and Prince Henrik’s Foundation, the Toyota Foundation, and chief legal counsellor L. Zeuthen's Memorial grant. The list of supporting foundations is continuously updated. 

Press photos can be downloaded from Dropbox and freely used when giving due credit.  

  

For more information and details on the opening and press event, please contact:  
ARoS Press and Communication  
presse@aros.dk  
+45 61904883