October 1, 2003–June 30, 2004
West Building, Ground Floor, G-21

This exhibition is no longer on view at the National Gallery of Art.

Overview: Held in conjunction with the exhibition The Age of Watteau, Chardin, and Fragonard: Masterpieces of French Genre Painting, this focused exhibition explored the art world of 18th-century France. Included were sections demonstrating the state of the art market, the development of the Salon, the focus on drawing from life, and the shift in art instruction toward the official academy.

Organization: The exhibition was organized by the National Gallery of Art. Neal Turtell, executive librarian, and Philip Conisbee, senior curator and head of European paintings, were cocurators.