Our top three international exhibitions this week: French art from the 19th century

Plus: line-up announced for Lebanon's Al Bustan Festival; and revel in the atmosphere of Sherlock Holmes's London.

Harvesters Resting or Ruth and Boaz (1850–1853) by Jean-François Millet is one of the works on display at the Albertina. 

© Musée d´Orsay, Paris, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais, Hervé Lewandowski
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Several watercolours by Paul Cézanne and pastels by Edgar Degas, Georges Seurat and Odilon Redon will feature in an engaging exhibition of 19th-century French art in Vienna. More than 100 artworks from the Musée d'Orsay collection will go on display, which represent a panorama of the French artistic landscape. Here we see sun-drenched landscapes from the south, evocations of the dreary existence of field workers and caricatures from 19th-century courtrooms, which show turning points in the political arena. Degas, Cézanne, Seurat: The Dream Archive from the Musée d'Orsay runs at the Albertina until May 3. For more information, visit www.albertina.at.

Revel in the atmosphere of Holmes’s London

Sherlock Holmes first appeared in print in 1887, and the ­famous detective continues to fascinate, not least judging by the popularity of the TV series starring Benedict Cumberbatch. Now an exhibition uses paintings, archival film, photographs, maps and original Victorian-era artefacts to recreate the London of Sherlock Holmes. The focus is on the detective, and how the city has so firmly become a part of the Holmes narrative, and reviews have been very positive. Sherlock Holmes: The Man Who Never Lived And Will Never Die runs at the Museum of London until April 12. For more information, visit www.museumoflondon.org.uk.

Line-up announced for Lebanon’s Al Bustan Fest

Every year since 1994, a series of classical music events takes place over the winter in Lebanon, mostly in a Beirut hotel. Al Bustan Festival was founded to revive the country, which was emerging after 17 years of civil war. The event focuses on chamber music, but also includes opera, dance and choral concerts. This year the line-up includes a performance from Ziad El Ahmadie and his band, pianists Khatia Buniatishvili and Oliver Poole, violinist Arabella Steinbacher and a special tribute concert to legendary soprano Maria Callas. Also performing will be the The Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra and The State Youth Orchestra of Armenia. Al Bustan Festival takes place in Beirut from February 17 to March 22. For more information, visit albustanfestival.com.

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