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

Paris 1874: The Impressionist Moment

Now on View

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

Plan Your Visit

While this exhibition is not ticketed, we anticipate that it will be popular. You may need to join a line on busier days. Weekends tend to be most crowded. Independently led groups are not permitted.


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, Claude MonetBerthe Morisot, and Camille Pissarro 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

Dive Deeper


Attend Exhibition Events

Also on View

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is there a line?
To protect the 130 works on view and ensure all audiences the best experience possible, capacity will be limited inside the exhibition space. Please expect to join a line on busier days. Weekends tend to be most crowded.

Are exhibition tours available?
Guided exhibition tours are not available due to capacity limitations. Additionally, independently led tours are not permitted in the exhibition. Groups are welcome to join the exhibition queue but may need to split into smaller groups to view the exhibition. Groups may join our drop-in discussions and exhibition overview lectures.

We do offer group tours that visit our permanent collection Impressionism galleries:

More questions? Contact us at [email protected] or 202.737.4215.


 

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; Sylvie Patry, former Deputy Director for collections and curatorial affairs, Musée d’Orsay; and Anne Robbins, curator of paintings, Musée d’Orsay.

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

Sponsors
Major support for the exhibition has been provided by The Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation, Lugano, Bank of America, and the Judy and Peter Blum Kovler Foundation.

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.

With the special participation of the Musée Marmottan Monet and the Académie des Beaux-Arts, Paris.

The exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.

Passes
Admission is always free. While this exhibition is not ticketed, we anticipate that it will be popular. You may need to join a line on busier days. Weekends tend to be most crowded. Independently led groups are not permitted.

Banner detail: Auguste Renoir, La Loge (The Theater Box), 1874, oil on canvas, The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust) Photo © The Courtauld