Marmottan isn’t just any museum—it’s a stroll back in time to the Belle Époque. Just entering, you land in that luscious dining room with lovely paintings by Berthe Morisot adorning it. She was there and elsewhere, in galleries dedicated just to her upstairs.

Last visiting just before the second lockdown, I was counting the days to go back this month. But it is now clear that even more patience is needed. For Marmottan has a magnetic quality that beckons you to return. It is welcoming, even cozy, just as a home, and replete with treasures. Mansions are not always intimate, but this one is. And it is a warm change from the the more regal museums in the city. I would wager that even the most recalcitrant of visitors wouldn’t resist its charm.

While sidetracked by everything on view, we had actually come to see Cezanne and the Dreams of Italy exhibition. Much has been written, and criticized, on how the curators juxtaposed his paintings with those of Italian masters to whom he looked for inspiration. The comparisons did seem far fetched sometimes. Yet what struck me was the force, the determination of this sullen, restless personality relentlessly seeking his own path. Impressionism, with its ephemerality, was not for him, while the Old Masters offered concrete solidity that was satisfying.

I could sense the grueling journey. The early paintings are writhing and dark, as the Strangled Woman or The Murder below. Definitely not a happy camper, Cezanne.

Eventually he broke new ground, as we know with the iconic St Victoire and other work. I discovered Seated Man below, a dignified, confident, and, yes, solid, portrait. His hand and feet seem almost sculpted, securely implanted, at one with nature. As Cezanne established his signature style, with planes of color, light infused his paintings, and what glowing light it is.

A jewel of this exhibition was its full-circling towards 20th century Italian artists in turn influenced by Cezanne. Morandi, Boccioni, Pirandello, and other artists not often present in exhibitions. Mario Sironi was one of my favorites, with such a warm palette and expressivity. Do you see similarities with Cezanne in this boy?

Finally, it was a special joy to be face-to-face with paintings by Morandi, and not just the meditative, minimalist still lives for which he is so known. The graphic simplicity and muted palette of this landscape emanate peacefulness, just as the still lives that he revisited over and over again in his Bologna studio. Their restful mood is the perfect ending to this wonderful exhibition.