Paris 1874. Inventing impressionism

Created in 1874 by a group of artists fighting against convention, impressionism is one of the most representative pictorial movements of 19th-century French art. Today, it can be discovered in all four corners of the Paris Region. Numerous tour routes, from Paris to the Oise, invite you to relive these first artistic emotions. Before moving on to the National Gallery, the exhibition Paris 1874. Inventing Impressionism takes over the musée d'Orsay this year. From fields of poppies to Parisian terraces, discover Impressionism in its purest form.

Impression is where it all began.

150 years ago, the world of art was turned upside down. Tired of the shackles imposed by the major institutions, a group of artists got together to show their own vision of artistic creation in Paris. It was thus that Degas, Pissaro, Monet, Renoir and many others organised the exhibition that was to give birth to the Impressionist movement.

The exhibition Paris 1874. Inventing Impressionism, as well as paying tribute to this key date, sets out to decipher the context in which 31 French artists (only a handful of whom have gone down in history) came together to exhibit their work. The second half of the 19th century was a period of conflict, when the Franco-German war of 1870 led intellectuals and artists to rethink the world. So it was in a society in the throes of crisis and transformation that a fringe of the artistic community decided to stand out.

Artistic confrontations

In addition to a selection of works from the 1874 event, the exhibition offers a different perspective by comparing them with the sculptures and paintings presented at the Salon officiel during the same period. This artistic event, which has spanned the centuries in prestigious venues, gave pride of place to artists from the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, and reflected what the Impressionists opposed. A visual and aesthetic shock that will give you the full measure of the movement. But since we're talking about going back to the origins, take the time to contemplate Impression, Soleil levant, the monumental work by Monet that gave the movement its name. A dazzling work like no other, it is usually on display at the Musée Marmottan-Monet in Paris.

For more artistic and cultural delights, discover the Paris Region's exhibitions.