Spanning nearly a century of artistic innovation, Facing Modernity: Degas to Picasso at Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) brings together 37 exceptional paintings and sculptures from the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki, never before shown in Australia, that capture the radical shifts in art from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century.

Audiences will embark on a journey tracing the major art movements of the modern era, from Impressionism and Post-Impressionism to Fauvism, Cubism, Surrealism and post-war abstraction, through works from icons of the age, including Pierre Bonnard, Georges Braque, Paul Cezanne, Salvador Dalí, Paul Gauguin, Barbara Hepworth, Fernand Leger, Henri Matisse, and Pablo Picasso.

This significant collection includes a major philanthropic gift from New York-based collectors Julian Robertson (1932-2022) and Josie Robertson (1943-2010) to Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki in 2023. Their generous bequest offers a rare glimpse into the vision of two passionate art patrons and their lifelong commitment to sharing and celebrating modern art.

From the sensual nudes and atmospheric brushwork of late 19th century Impressionism to the geometric intensity of Cubism and the dreamlike worlds of Surrealism, Facing Modernity traces how artists shattered conventions and reimagined the world anew.

Facing Modernity: Degas to Picasso is a ticketed exhibition. Tickets will be on sale from 23 April, available online and in person at the Shepparton Art Museum.