The Régis Krampf Collection is participating in 'Frieze Seoul 2026', which will be held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul from September 2 to 5.
The Régis Kramp Collection presents 10 works by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Georges Braque, Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot, Pierre Bonnard, Gustave Caillebotte, and Eugène Delacroix at Frieze Seoul booth C08.
This presentation surveys major genres of modern painting, such as landscapes, still lifes, and nudes, focusing on representative works of Impressionism and modern art. It is designed to allow for a comparison of the artists' perspectives, brushstrokes, colors, and compositions by placing works from different eras and styles side by side.
At the center of the exhibition are works by Renoir and Braque. Renoir's landscape painting 'Cap Saint Jean (1908)' and nude painting 'The Bather (La Baigneuse, 1910)' are presented alongside Braque's 'Baigneuse sur les Galets (1929)' and 'Baigneuse II (1930–1931).'
Renoir's The Bather depicts the body of a woman seated against a natural backdrop using soft and rich colors. Through a composition where light seems to envelop the figure's skin and the surrounding landscape, it showcases Renoir's signature sensual and gentle world of painting.
In contrast, Braque's two nudes geometrically simplify and reconstruct the human body and the background. While maintaining the subject matter of traditional nudes, they reveal the unique visual language that Braque developed after Cubism by deconstructing the boundaries between the figure and space.
The composition placing the works of the two artists together demonstrates how the same theme of 'bathing woman' was interpreted differently within the sensual colors of Impressionism and the structural composition of Modernism.
Renoir's Cape Saint-Jean is a work that captures the coastal landscape unfolding through the trees. Expressing the movement of light and atmosphere within the landscape with free brushstrokes, it conveys the artist's lyrical perspective on nature.
This work is notable for providing insight into the evolution of French landscape painting, alongside Corot's The Three Oaks by the Lake (1870). Corot depicted the trees and figures situated by the lake using calm and restrained colors. Combining the sense of balance found in classical landscape painting with direct observation of nature, the work demonstrates a significant shift in French landscape art prior to the emergence of Impressionism.
In the still life section, Renoir's 'Three Lemons (Trois citrons·1918)' and Braque's 'Apple and Banana (Pomme et Banane·1929)' are exhibited side by side.
Both works feature everyday fruit as their subject matter, but they demonstrate different painterly approaches. Renoir expresses the warmth and vitality of lemons through soft colors and delicate brushstrokes, whereas Braque explores the relationship between objects and space through a structured composition where form and background interlock. The juxtaposition of these two still lifes allows for a comparison of the delicate brushwork and distinct sensibilities of Renoir and Braque.
Gustave Caillebotte's 'Tree at the Edge of the Path (Arbre au bord du Sentier·1882)' and Pierre Bonnard's 'Young Woman Seen from Behind (Jeune fille, vue de dos·1906)' are also introduced in a way that faces each other.
Caillebotte's work is a landscape painting that captures roadside trees and the surrounding scenery with quick and energetic brushstrokes. Bonnard's work depicts the back of a young woman wearing a red dress on paper using gouache and watercolor. Despite the difference in subject matter—landscape versus figure—the two works share vibrant colors and energetic brushwork.
At the end of the exhibition is Eugène Delacroix's 'Study for Hesiod and the Muse (Etude pour Hésiode et la Muse·1843–1844).' As the earliest work among the exhibited pieces, it features the ancient Greek poet Hesiod and the Muse, the source of artistic inspiration.
Delacroix demonstrates the expressiveness of French Romanticism through dynamic figure movements, dramatic compositions, and rich colors. This work evokes the tradition of classical painting while serving as a starting point for examining the changes in painting that followed, led by Corot, Renoir, Caillebotte, Bonnard, and Braque.
Introduction to the Regis Kramp Collection
The Regis Kramp Collection is a collection of modern and contemporary art and an international exhibition platform built by Regis Kramp, who has been active as an art dealer, collector, and curator.
Kramp describes the life of an art dealer as "taste, guts, and money," and has built his own collection based on this attitude.
He introduced contemporary Chinese art in New York, USA, in the early 2000s, and operated a four-story gallery in Istanbul, Turkey, in the early 2010s. To date, he has curated over 100 exhibitions and participated in more than 50 international art fairs, maintaining a wide range of activities.
While supporting the career development and entry of emerging artists into the international stage, he is currently focusing on the collection and trade of modern art. Kramp views the modern art market as a constantly changing and dynamic realm, much like his own collection.
The collection includes artists representing the history of modern and contemporary Western art, such as Georges Braque, Pablo Picasso, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro, Gustave Caillebotte, Pierre Bonnard, Édouard Vuillard, Gustave Moreau, Gustave Courbet, Marc Chagall, Eugène Delacroix, Giovanni Boldini, Berthe Morisot, Henri Martin, Gustave Loiseau, and Georges Rouault.
The Regis Kramp Collection transcends the traditional role of a gallery, connecting historical works with contemporary audiences based on its accumulated experience as an art dealer and the discerning eye of a collector. It is characterized by a combination of expertise in modern art masterpieces and experience in the contemporary art scene, where it has discovered emerging artists.
Like the previous Frieze Seoul presentation, this exhibition establishes relationships between works centered on the common themes of landscapes, still lifes, and nudes, rather than simply listing individual pieces. Through this, it encapsulates the evolution of painting, leading from 19th-century Romanticism and landscape painting to Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, and Modernism.
The participation of the Regis Kramp Collection in Frieze Seoul serves as an opportunity to introduce major works of Western modern and contemporary art to Korean audiences and Asian collectors. Through an exhibition structure that compares works by different artists dealing with the same subject matter, it is expected to allow viewers to explore not only the art historical significance of individual pieces but also the painterly perspectives and modes of expression that have evolved over time.
Exhibition Overview
Event Name: Frieze Seoul 2026
Participating Gallery: Régis Krampf Collection
Period: September 2–5, 2026
Location: COEX, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Booth: C08
Major genres: Landscapes, Still Lifes, Nudes
Major exhibiting artists: Renoir, Braque, Corot, Bonnard, Caillebotte, Delacroix
Online Viewing: Freeze Viewing Room
Collection Website: Régis Krampf Collection
Image courtesy of Régis Krampf Collection.
The images published in this article are used solely for reporting purposes related to 'Frieze Seoul 2026' with permission from Régis Krampf Collection . The copyright of the images belongs to their respective rights holders, and reproduction, distribution, modification, and commercial use without separate permission are prohibited.
The images published in this article are used with permission from Régis Krampf Collection for editorial coverage of “Frieze Seoul 2026.” Copyright in each image belongs to the respective rights holder. Reproduction, distribution, alteration, or commercial use without prior permission is prohibited.
Reporter LIM MANTAIK dream-kaz@daum.net
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