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The Impressionist Group Exhibitions
In addition to developing their technical innovations, the impressionists succeeded in breaking free from the constraints of the official art exhibitions of their day. At that time the Paris art world was dominated by the annual Salon, an enormous exhibition of contemporary sculpture and painting. The works were selected by a jury, which favored paintings that conformed to the principles of the academic art establishment--representing elevated subject matter and demonstrating the traditional artistic skills of draftsmanship and modeling. The thousands of paintings accepted each year were hung frame to frame from floor to ceiling in a large exhibition space, where small canvases, such as landscapes, were often overwhelmed. Frustrated by the Salon system, the impressionists set out to establish their own alternative art exhibitions, free from the dictates of an official selecting jury and giving greater consideration to how paintings were hung. Under the leadership of Camille Pissarro and Claude Monet, they formed the Anonymous Society of Artists, Painters, Sculptors, and Engravers, which held eight exhibitions between 1874 and 1886.

Introduction | Impressionism | Group Exhibitions | The Paris Suburbs | Impressions of Nature
Impressionist Techniques | Landscapes of Modernity | Leisure | Group Dynamics