Paris 1874: Inventing Impressionism.
NMR| N° d'inventaire | 30578 |
| Format | 22.4 x 33 |
| Détails | 288 p., numerous illustrations and color photographs, publisher's cloth binding. |
| Publication | Paris, 2024 |
| Etat | Nine |
| ISBN | 9782711880164 |
150 years ago, on April 15, 1874, the first Impressionist exhibition opened in Paris.
To celebrate this anniversary, the Musée d'Orsay is presenting some 130 works, and taking a fresh look at this key date, considered the launching pad for the avant-garde.
"Hungry for independence," Monet, Renoir, Degas, Morisot, Pissarro, Sisley, and Cézanne decided to break the rules by organizing their own exhibitions, outside of official channels: Impressionism was born. What exactly happened in Paris in the spring of 1874, and what meaning can we give today to this now legendary exhibition? "Paris 1874. The Impressionist Moment" aims to retrace the advent of an artistic movement that emerged in a rapidly changing world.
"Paris 1874" examines the circumstances that led these 31 artists to come together to exhibit their works together. The climate of the period was post-war, following two conflicts: the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, and then a violent civil war. In this context of crisis, artists rethought their art and explored new directions. A small "clan of rebels" painted scenes of modern life, or landscapes in light tones and a spirited touch, sketched en plein air. As one observer noted, "what they seem to be seeking above all is the impression." A selection of works that appeared at the Impressionist exhibition of 1874 is compared with paintings and sculptures shown at the same time at the official Salon. This unprecedented confrontation allows us to recreate the visual impact of the works exhibited by the Impressionists at the time, but also to nuance it, through unexpected parallels and overlaps between the first Impressionist exhibition and the Salon. It thus shows the contradictions and infinite richness of contemporary creation in the spring of 1874, while highlighting the radical modernity of the art of these young artists.
150 years ago, on April 15, 1874, the first Impressionist exhibition opened in Paris.
To celebrate this anniversary, the Musée d'Orsay is presenting some 130 works, and taking a fresh look at this key date, considered the launching pad for the avant-garde.
"Hungry for independence," Monet, Renoir, Degas, Morisot, Pissarro, Sisley, and Cézanne decided to break the rules by organizing their own exhibitions, outside of official channels: Impressionism was born. What exactly happened in Paris in the spring of 1874, and what meaning can we give today to this now legendary exhibition? "Paris 1874. The Impressionist Moment" aims to retrace the advent of an artistic movement that emerged in a rapidly changing world.
"Paris 1874" examines the circumstances that led these 31 artists to come together to exhibit their works together. The climate of the period was post-war, following two conflicts: the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, and then a violent civil war. In this context of crisis, artists rethought their art and explored new directions. A small "clan of rebels" painted scenes of modern life, or landscapes in light tones and a spirited touch, sketched en plein air. As one observer noted, "what they seem to be seeking above all is the impression." A selection of works that appeared at the Impressionist exhibition of 1874 is compared with paintings and sculptures shown at the same time at the official Salon. This unprecedented confrontation allows us to recreate the visual impact of the works exhibited by the Impressionists at the time, but also to nuance it, through unexpected parallels and overlaps between the first Impressionist exhibition and the Salon. It thus shows the contradictions and infinite richness of contemporary creation in the spring of 1874, while highlighting the radical modernity of the art of these young artists.