1874, The Birth of Impressionism

Coupling footage of the paintings with rare archival materials, directors Julien Johan and Hugues Nancy create a portrait of late 19th century France, and the profound changes brought by the advent of modernity that impacted the artists. Although many of them were classically trained, and even had works selected for the annual Paris Salon—the official exhibition of the French Academy of Fine Arts, their avant-garde spirit and modern sensibilities were viewed as a challenge to academic art and strict rules imposed by the powerful Salon jury. It was also a time when it was inconceivable for a woman to embark on a painting career. Berthe Morisot, who had proven her talent with works selected for the Salon, such as The Old Track to Auvers and Study, Water’s Edge, continued to be constrained by gender bias, and was mostly limited to painting at home. Domestic life became the main subject of her works such as The Mother and Sister of the Artist.

Frustrated by repeated rejections from the Salon jury, the artists decided they had to organise an independent group exhibition, essentially cutting off what was then the predominant way for an artist to gain public recognition or commercial success in France. This inaugural exhibition took place in the spring of 1874 on 35 Boulevard des Capucines, Paris. The film reconstructs for the first time what that exhibition might have looked like, based on extensive study of the catalogue, news articles, and private letters. Ironically, this historic showcase of some 200 works by over 30 artists, many of which are now considered masterpieces, like Renoir’s The Theatre Box, Morisot’s The Cradle, and Degas’ At the Races in the Countryside, was not well received at the time. Monet’s Impression, Sunrise even prompted one contemptuous critic to label the group as ‘Impressionists’. As it happens, what was meant as a derisory epithet became the name of a major movement that changed the course of art history, with a legacy that continues to live on today.