Musée d'Orsay Marks 150 Years of Impressionism with Major Exhibition

From March 26 to July 14, 2024, the Musée d'Orsay, in partnership with the Musée de l'Orangerie and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, will host 'Paris 1874. The Impressionist Moment' to mark the 150th anniversary of Impressionism. This exhibition features 130 pieces that trace the movement's beginnings, beginning with the works displayed on April 15, 1874, at Nadar's studio located at 35 Boulevard des Capucines in Paris. Organized by the 'Société anonyme des artistes, peintres, sculpteurs, graveurs,' this inaugural exhibition included artists like Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Edgar Degas, among others, who were overlooked by the official Salon. The term 'Impressionist' was first used by critic Louis Leroy in a satirical review of Monet's 'Impression, Sunrise' (1872). The exhibition contrasts early Impressionist pieces with academic works from the same Salon, illustrating the movement's radical departure and responses to the societal shifts following the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. Only seven of the original thirty-one artists gained enduring recognition. After its run in Paris, the exhibition will move to the National Gallery of Art in Washington in the fall of 2024.