While planning my France 2024 trip earlier this year, I wanted to go to the Musee d'Orsay (MO) in the worst way since I didn't get to it last year. Don't get me wrong, the Louvre Museum is the Creme de la Creme (we also went there), but I wanted to get inside the other "best" museum in Paris, too. When I noticed that the MO was having a special exhibit with over 150 impressionist paintings, and during the time I/we would be there, I called my travel-mate, Linda Misencik, and said, "We have to go to this exhibition!"
Thankfully, Linda was all in on my slanted suggestion to visit MO.
The reason why this show was so special is that for twenty or thirty years before a daring group of artists couldn't get into the other "prestigious salons of the day with creatives and painters," they branched out on their own.
The back of the little book that is for sale in the giftshop regarding this exhibit says:
Paris, April 1874
A daring group of artists organized the first impressionist exhibition in the former studios of the photographer Nadar. Among them are Monet, Renoir, Degas, Morisot, Cézanne, Pissarro, and Sisley, all seeking to escape from the subjects and styles preferred by the official Salon, and introduce new subjects and styles in an exhibition of their own.
"Friendships," "Hide-and-seel," "Modern life," "Nature," "Parisienne," "Scandal": close to fifty themes and keywords are included in the book ABC, and an invitation to discover the many facets of the "new painting."
I was over the moon with the show! I thought Mick Jagger was in the house since people were practically screaming and clamoring around the priceless paintings—in all languages, clothing, and customs. Apparently, people around the globe are still fascinated with all the paintings in the exhibit 150 years later, so take that, naughty Salon of yesteryear (like 170 years ago - people never change...).
And then, after buying the inexpensive ticket for the MO, I learned that this exact show will be shown in Washington, DC., at the National Gallery of Art (with the same curator as the Paris show!). Click on the link for dates — starts September 8, 2024.
You can bet I'll be at the NGA several times this fall (we live 30 minutes away). And Admission is always FREE!
bSoleille!
Terri
If you guessed the photos below are all Van Gogh, you are correct!
