1874: The Musée d’Orsay Celebrates the 150th Anniversary of Impressionism

Published on 26 April 2024, by Véronique Bouruet-Aubertot

In collaboration with the National Gallery of Art in Washington, the Musée d’Orsay focuses on the year 1874 and the first exhibition of independent artists who were soon to be called “Impressionists”.

Auguste Renoir (1841-1919), La Loge (The Theater Box), 1874, oil on canvas, 80 x... 1874: The Musée d’Orsay Celebrates the 150th Anniversary of Impressionism

Auguste Renoir (1841-1919), La Loge (The Theater Box), 1874, oil on canvas, 80 x 63.5 cm/31.49 x 25 in, London, The Courtauld Gallery (Samuel Courtauld Trust).
© The Courtauld/Bridgeman Images

What did the independent exhibition that opened on April 15 in Nadar’s photography studio at 35 boulevard des Capucines look like? What did visitors see at the painting and sculpture show that started nearby at the Palais de l'Industrie et des Beaux-Arts (avenue des Champs-Élysées) two weeks later? How successful were these artists at the time? How did Impressionism take shape? The exhibition “Paris 1874: Inventing Impressionism” tries to answer these questions 150 years after the event. In addition…

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