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Impressionist painting, Edouard Manet (artist) French, 1832 - 1883, The Railway, 1873, oil on canvas

Paris 1874: The Impressionist Moment

Upcoming Exhibition

September 8, 2024 – January 19, 2025
West Building, Main Floor

How did Impressionism begin? Discover the origins of the French art movement in a new look at the radical 1874 exhibition considered the birth of modern painting.

A remarkable presentation of 130 works includes a rare reunion of many of the paintings first featured in that now-legendary exhibition. Revisit beloved paintings by Paul Cézanne, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot, Camille Pissarro, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir and meet their lesser-known contemporaries. See the art norms they were rebelling against and learn what political and social shifts sparked their new approach to art.

Don’t miss the unique chance to immerse yourself in the dynamic Parisian art scene of 1874—we are the only American stop for this historic exhibition.

Explore Selected Works

Organization
Organized by the National Gallery of Art, Washington, and the Musée d’Orsay, Paris

The exhibition is curated by Mary Morton, curator and head of the department of French paintings, National Gallery of Art; Kimberly Jones, curator of 19th-century French paintings, National Gallery of Art; Anne Robbins, curator of paintings, Musée d’Orsay; and Sylvie Patry, former director of conservation and collections, Musée d’Orsay.

Other venues
Musée d’Orsay, Paris, March 25–July 14, 2024

Sponsors
The Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation has provided major support for the exhibition. 

The exhibition in Washington is also generously supported by the Hata Foundation, the Buffy and William Cafritz Family Fund, the Annenberg Fund for the International Exchange of Art, the Edwin L. Cox Exhibition Fund, and the Director’s Circle of the National Gallery of Art. 

Passes
Admission is always free and passes are not required