Paris 1874 at the National Gallery of Art

Walk or run but get yourself there

A show of French impressionists is a little bit like a symphony pops concert — always a crowd pleaser and appealing to even those who really aren’t into more serious fare. So of course, the latest impressionist show at the National Gallery of Art, Paris 1874: The Impressionist Moment, is going to be a hit. But don’t turn up your nose if you consider yourself a more sophisticated art lover. You may be drawn to the works of the impressionists by their pretty, light filled and colorful landscapes and domestic scenes, but it’s easy to forget how revolutionary these works were in their time.

I knew that this would be a show that I’d enjoy but I didn’t bank on how much I’d love the conceit — contrasting the works in the first show of the Société Anonyme des Artistes Peintres, Sculpteurs, Graveurs, etc. with art featured in the juried Salon of 1874 with its strict conventional rules regarding subject matter and technique. It starts from the images in the first room, where Monet’s Impression, Sunrise is hung next to the Salon’s Medal of Honor winning L’eminence Grise by Jean-Léon Gérôme.

The exhibit also positions both events in the context of French history, that being the aftermath of the country’s defeat in the Franco-Prussian War and the subsequent bloody period known as the Commune. I wrote about the Commune when I was living in Paris back in 2011 so if you want to know more, go here. (For some reason, the photos aren’t rendering properly on that post but if you click on the long vertical lines, you’ll be able to see each image.)

But back to the exhibit. There’s a lot to see and a lot to learn here. I savored some of my old favorites including The Railway which was in a children’s book about art that I read and re-read until the pages were dog eared and the binding stressed; a few Degas depictions of ballet dancers, and some of the little watercolors and pastels by Boudin that are normally found in the small French paintings gallery in the East Building. There was the shock of recognition when viewing several pieces by Giuseppe De Nittis which I had seen for the first time at the Phillips Collection back in 2022. I look forward to going back and drinking in all of these and more once again.

Boudin’s depictions of ladies and gentleman enjoying the beaches at Deauville and Trouville have long been personal favorites. Could I have this one for my hallway?

I won’t post more images included in the exhibit, because a) you can see much better ones in the NGA’s official website and b) I find that the picture takers are the most annoying part of museumgoing these days. You can blame Instagram and TikTok but this behavior long predates social media. I have vivid memories of Japanese tourists flocking the Rosetta Stone at the British Museum back in the 1970s and don’t get me started on the Mona Lisa at the Louvre. These image snappers seem more intent on their photographs than in appreciating the actual work, plus they make it difficult for the rest of us to get a good look.

There is also a companion exhibit in the NGA’s library in the East Building that consists of sketches, photographs, and other archival documents related to the artists of 1874 and their world. If you are there at the right time (see below), it’s well worth the detour.

Paris 1874 is open daily through January 19 in the National Gallery’s main building. The museum is open from 10 am to 5 pm. Tickets are not required but admission will be controlled to ensure that the galleries don’t get too full. Apparently the best times to go are Tuesdays and Wednesdays or close to opening and closing. Don’t forget the adjacent galleries with other impressionist works from the gallery’s permanent collection.

The companion exhibit in the library is open on weekdays from 11 am to 4:30 pm.