On April 15, 1874, the first Impressionist exhibition occurred in Paris. A group of artists, including Monet, Renoir, Degas, Morisot, Pissarro, Sisley, and Cézanne, organized an independent exhibition to break free from established rules and routes, marking the birth of Impressionism.

The Musée d'Orsay celebrates the 150th anniversary of this pivotal moment with a major exhibition, "Paris 1874. Inventing Impressionism". Featuring around 130 works, it offers a fresh perspective on this key period. The challenge of "Paris 1874" is understanding the making of an artistic movement emerging from a rapidly changing world and the exceptional impact of an exhibition that has become legendary despite being visited by only a few thousand curious onlookers.

Please join us for an exclusive tour of Paris 1874. Inventing Impressionism, led by art historian Anne Catherine Abecassis, on Monday, June 17, at 9:30 a.m.

All invitations are personal and non-transferable.

Image: Claude Monet (1840-1926), Impression, Soleil Levant, 1872, Paris, Musée Marmottan Monet,
Don Eugène et Victorine Donop de Monchy (donateurs) © musée Marmottan Monet, Paris / Studio Baraja SLB