Democrats are more beautiful (after Jonathan Horowitz), 2001. Oil on board. Collection of Sarah and Sattford Broumand © Elizabeth Peyton

MAASTRICHT, NL - The Bonnefantenmuseum will be presenting the first comprehensive retrospective of Elizabeth Peyton's oeuvre on the European mainland, which comprises over 90 works (paintings, watercolours, drawings and lithos) from the past 18 years (1991-2009). Live Forever: Elizabeth Peyton has been organised by the New Museum, New York. From her first portraits of 19th-century heroes to her more recent works, peopled with friends from the world of music, fashion and literature, Elizabeth Peyton has presented herself as a contemporary 'painter of modern life', in the words of Charles Baudelaire. Peyton's miniature portraits capture the spirit of the times in an artistic language that unmistakably reflects late 20th-century urban sensitivity. On view 18 October through 21 March, 2010.

The exhibition starts with portraits of Napoleon Bonaparte, pop icons Sid Vicious and Kurt Cobain, and fashion designer Marc Jacobs, and shows a development towards an increasing eclecticism and anachronism in Peyton's choices of subject, ranging from her personal circle of friends to admired predecessors from the history of art, such as Georgia O'Keeffe and Frida Kahlo. Peyton's intimate portraits often appear unrealistic, compared to the public star status of many of her models. Peyton makes them small – both literally and figuratively – in order to visualize a more genuine beauty.

Elizabeth Peyton belongs to a select group of artists who developed a unique mix of realism and conceptualism in their work in the early 1990's, in which Peyton consciously reverted to narrative figurative techniques in contemporary painting. Her work pays tribute to the 19th-century French modernist painting of Gros up to Manet, and is directly reminiscent of the work of David Hockney, Alex Katz and Andy Warhol – particularly their celebrity portraits. Peyton's dedication to reviving a new sort of popular art that attempts to forge a link between art and life is authentic, and her work is pervaded with the times we live in. In her work, which is small in size but makes a large gesture, Peyton has breathed new life into the ancient genre of portrait painting.

In collaboration with the New Museum, New York, and Phaidon, a catalogue has been published: Live Forever: Elizabeth Peyton, containing a broad selection of works, photos and source material by the artist. The catalogue is available from the museum shop. Peyton's miniature portraits capture the spirit of the times in an artistic language that unmistakeably reflects late 20th-century urban sensitivity.

Last year the Bonnefantenmuseum Maastricht inaugurated Rijksmuseum Maastricht, an alliance between the Bonnefanten and the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam. A special display featuring masterworks from the Rijksmuseum's permanent collection, entitled Palazzo: Collecting Early Italian Art in the Netherlands (1900--1940), showcases masterworks acquired by the important collector of Renaissance art Otto Lanz and is augmented by works acquired by other Dutch collectors during the interwar period.

Visit The Bonnefantenmuseum at : http://www.bonnefanten.nl/en/

Eugène Delacroix, 1842, 2005. Oil on board. Collection Doug Inglish © Elizabeth Peyton

Le musée Bonnefanten présente du 18 octobre 2009 au 21 mars 2010 la première vue d'ensemble rétrospective du travail d'Elizabeth Peyton sur le continent européen, avec environ 90 œuvres (peintures, aquarelles, dessins & lithographies) de ces 18 dernières années (1991-2009).

Depuis la réalisation de ses premiers portraits de grandes figures du 19ème siècle jusqu'à son travail le plus récent, peuplé de ses connaissances et amis du monde de la musique, de l'art, de la mode et de la littérature, Elizabeth Peyton se présente comme "peintre de la vie moderne"; au sens où Charles Baudelaire l'entendait. Ses tableaux miniatures capturent l'esprit du temps dans une langue artistique qui reflète indéniablement une sensibilité urbaine caractéristique de la fin du 20ème siècle.

L'exposition est constituée de portraits de Napoléon Bonaparte, d'icônes de la pop comme Sid Vicious, Liam Gallagher ou Kurt Cobain, ou encore du styliste Marc Jacobs. Elle montre l'évolution du travail d'Elizabeth Peyton,  et son penchant grandissant pour un anachronisme et un éclectisme dans le choix de ses sujets, la faisant aller de son propre cercle d'amis à des figures pionnières de l'histoire de l'art - objets de son admiration personnelle - comme Georgia O'Keeffe et Frida Kahlo. De ses portraits intimes s'exhale une impression d'irréel, indépendamment du statut de stars de beaucoup de ses modèles. Peyton les peint en petit, au sens propre comme figuré, et accentue ainsi la beauté palpable de ses tableaux.

Le travail d'Elizabeth Peyton est entièrement dévoué à une tentative de faire revivre une nouvelle sorte d'art populaire, jetant  un pont entre l'art et la vie. Son œuvre respire l'air du temps. Petit  par le format mais grand par le geste, son travail insuffle une vie nouvelle au genre intemporel qu'est le portrait en peinture.

Le catalogue Live Forever: Elizabeth Peyton, paru à l'occasion de l'exposition et en collaboration entre le New Museum, New York et Phaidon, comprend une riche sélection de reproductions d'oeuvres, de photos et de documents de travail de l'artiste. Disponible au magasin du musée.

Live Forever: Elizabeth Peyton a été organisée par le New Museum, New York. Banana Republic est le sponsor général de l'exposition. La Turing Foundation est le bienfaiteur principal de l'exposition. La radio Klara est le partenaire média de l'exposition.

John Lydon, 1994. Oil on canvas. Private collection © Elizabeth Peyton

Dallas, TX, (January 1978), 1994. Oil on board. Private collection. Courtesy Sadie Coles HQ, London © Elizabeth Peyton

Sid and hus Mum (John and Ann Beverly), 1995. Oil on board. Private collection. Courtesy Gladstone Gallery, New York © Elizabeth Peyton

Princess Kurt, 1995. Oil on linen. Collection Walker Art Center, Minneapolis. T.B. Walker Acquisition Fund 1995 © Elizabeth Peyton

Alizarin Kurt, 1995. Oil on canvas. Private collection © Elizabeth Peyton

Kurt, 1995. Oil on board. Collection Glenn Furhman. Courtesy The FLAG Art Foundation © Elizabeth Peyton

Blue Kurt, 1995. Oil on canvas. Private collection © Elizabeth Peyton

Hotel , 1966 (John Lennon), 1996. Oil on board. Collection Carlo De' Stefani © Elizabeth Peyton

John Simon Berverly Ritchie (Sid), 1995. Oil on board. Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Contemporay Curator's Fund © Elizabeth Peyton

Silver Colin, 1998. Oil on board. Private collection © Elizabeth Peyton

Jarvis and Liam Smoking, 1997. Oil on canvas. Collection Tiqui Atencio © Elizabeth Peyton

Jarvis on a bed, 1996. Oil on board. Collection Laura and Stafford Broumand © Elizabeth Peyton

Earl's Court. 1996. Oil on board. Collection Nina and Frank Moore © Elizabeth Peyton

Flower Liam, 1996. Oil on board. Private collection. Courtesy Zwirner and Wirth, New York © Elizabeth Peyton

Roseland, 1997. Oil on board. Emmanuel Hoffmann Foundation, permanent loan to the Öffentliche Kunstammlung, Basel © Elizabeth Peyton

Palladium Martin, 1999. Oil and palladium leaf on board. The Stephanie and Peter Brant Foundation, Greenwich, Connecticut © Elizabeth Peyton

Jackie and John (Jackie fixing Hohn's hair), 1999. Oil on bord. Collection Mr and Mrs Jeffery R. Winter © Elizabeth Peyton

Maurizio Eating, 1998. Oil on board. Collection Nancy Delman Portnoy © Elizabeth Peyton

Jarvis, 1996. Oil on board. Hort Family Collection © Elizabeth Peyton

David Hockney, Powis Terrace Bedroom, 1998. Oil on board. Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg © Elizabeth Peyton

Prince Eagle (Fontainebleau), 1999. Oil on board. Private collection, New York. Courtesy Gavin Brown's enterprise, New York © Elizabeth Peyton

Savoy (Tony), 1999. Oil on bord. Emmnuel Hoffmann Foundation, permanent loan to the Öffentliche Kunstammlung, Basel © Elizabeth Peyton

Berlin (Tony), 2000. Oil on canvas. Private collection © Elizabeth Peyton

Ben Drawing, 2001. Oil on board. Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh; A.W. Mellon Acquisition Endowment, 2001.45.01 © Elizabeth Peyton

Little Em (Eminem), 2002. Oil  on board. The Stephanie and Peter Brant Foundation, Greenwich, Connecticut © Elizabeth Peyton

Marc, 2004. Oil on board. Private collection © Elizabeth Peyton

L.A. (E.P.), 2004. Private collection, promised to the Art Institude of Chicago © Elizabeth Peyton

Pete (Pete Doherty), 2005. Watercolor on paper. Private collection © Elizabeth Peyton