Meta-Impressionism/ other exhibitions:

The Salon

1872

The Salon of 1872, short info:
The Salon of 1872 (the 89th) started the 1st of May in the Palais des Champs-Elysées in Paris (iR4;iR3). The catalogue mentions 1728 partakers and 2080 numbers (iR1). In 1871 there hadn’t been a Salon due to the French-Prussian war and the Commune (see political developments).
This year the Grande Médaille d’Honneur was awarded to Jules Breton↑. There were just 4 1st medals were awarded, namely to Étienne Berne-Bellecour, Paul-Joseph Blanc, Jean-Paul Laurens and Jules-Louis Machard.
On this page you will find short information on the Salon of 1872 and some of the pictures exhibited. First you will find highly awarded paintings. Then you will find art-works of the partakers of the ‘impressionist’ expositions. Then some pictures of some related artists. At last you will find some rejected pictures.
Note: If you double click on the first (of a cluster of) pictures and then click on full screen, you can create a (small) slideshow. On a smartphone or laptop you can also zoom in. Enjoy!

 

Exhibited art-works by the ‘impressionist’:
16 of the 57 partakers of the ‘impressionist’ expositions showed about 38 art-works at the Salon of 1872. Including  Astruc (1sc); Boudin (2x); Félix Bracquemond (16 engravings); Bureau (1x); Cassatt (1x); Debras (2x); Latouche (1x); Lepic (1x +1wc); Lépine (1x); Meyer (2 enamels); de Molins (1x); Morisot (1x); de Nittis (1x); Léon Ottin (2x vitrail); Piette (2wc); Rouart (2x). See also the accounts of these artists (in the left or bottom sub-menus).
Joseph de Nittis received a ‘mention honorable’, but that would not be listed as an official award.
In the engraving section (no.4) Félix Bracquemond received a 2nd medal.
The art-works will be rendered by form, first the paintings, then other art-works and then alphabettically.

 

Exhibited art-works by other artists:
Here below you will find some art-works (mainly paintings) of some other artists that were exhibited at the Salon of 1872. You will find them by form and in an alphabetical order. This will not give you an overall impression (that is outside the scope of this website). Namely works of pre-impressionist, para-impressionist and other related artitsts will be shown. Namely the following artists showed paintings: Chintreuil; Puvis de Chavannes.
Note: additional info and pictures will follow.

 

Rejected art-works:
Some paintings were rejected for the Salon of 1872. Among them art-works of partakers of the ‘impressionist’ expositions. Namely of Cézanne, J.F. Raffaëlli (2x +2dr +2sc) and Renoir (1x). See also the accounts of these artists (in the left or bottom sub-menus).

 

Background information:
Deviant from the years before there were 4 sections (instead of 6 or 7): 1. Architecture; 2. Painting, drawings, watercolours, pastels, enamels, miniatures (porcelain, earthenware); 3. Sculpture and engravings on medals and gemstones; 4. Engravings and lithographs.
Per sections artists could send in 2 art-works.
In an appendix the paintings and sculptures executed since 1870 in public monuments were noted.
The number of admissions had to be diminished by half, because the Ministry of Finance had occupied part of the Palais des Champs-Élysées.

The jury:
The minister of Instruction publique, des Cultes et des Beaux-Arts was Jules Simon. Léon Morand was an accounting officer for the National Museums. M. Buon was inspector of Fine Arts. Overall president of the juries was Charles Blanc (director of Fine Arts and member of L’Institut). 1872/03/26 the admission and award jury was elected for the 4 sections. Those who could vote were artists that had received a medal before or a Prix de Rome. The jury for the painting section (no.2) consisted (according to the regulations) of 15 members + 5 supplementairies + 4 added by the administration.
In the painting section (no.2) the following 14 painters were elected (in order of the most votes): Baudry* (130 votes), Bonnat** (127), Pils* (124), Brion (124), Meissonier* (120; vice-president), J. Breton** (119), Delaunay** (115), Robert-Fleury* (114; president), P. Rousseau (109), Fromentin (108; vice-president), Jalabert (107), Dubufe (99), G. Boulanger** (89), Vollon** (75); and supplementairy: Millet (73), Puvis de Chavannes (69), Mazerolle (64), Worms (64), Protais (58). The next most votes were given to Gleyre (37), Gérôme* (28), Cabanel* (28), Français (25), Bernier (22), Busson (21), Comte (21). The 4 members added by the Administration were L. Viardot; Larrieu (member of L’Assemblée nationale); Cottier (secretary); Robert (director of the ‘manufacture de Sèvres’).
Note*: these artists were at that time member of L’Institut; see Academic painters.
Note**: later member of L’Institut; see Academic painters.

The awards:
The awards were distributed 1872/07/01.
A work of outstanding quality could be awarded with a Grande Médaille d’Honneur*. This year it was awarded to Jules Breton.
S1872-204, La fontaine (see picture, 77x53cm, on panel, auctioned 1898/05/07 iR13 (maybe a reduction or study); see engraving after the painting: leboncoin.fr; iR17; iR11; ).
=EU-1878-123, La fontaine (Salon de 1872; à M. J. ?Bélèvre) (see reproduction todocolleccion.net)
S1872-205, Jeune fille gardant des vaches (=aR6/P1871-05; iR13; iR11; iR48; compare a smaller one made in 1872: aR6/P1872-01; iR13; iR358; . I assume the first one was exhibited at the Salon of 1872.
Note*: deviant from the years before it was now named the Grande Médaille d’Honneur, instead of the Médaille d’Honneur.

There were 2 sorts of medals: the premières médailles* and the secondes médailles*. The maximum of the 1st medal was 8 for painting etc. and of the 2nd medal 16 or more. The 1st medal couldn’t be obtained by those artists who earlier had received such a medal or those who had received 3 times a medal in the years 1865-1870*.
Note*: In the years 1865-1870 there were each year 40 medals distributed worth 400fr. In the years 1857-1864 there were 1st, 2nd and 3rd class medals.

There were just 4 1st medals were awarded, namely to Étienne Berne-Bellecour, Paul-Joseph Blanc, Jean-Paul Laurens* and Jules-Louis Machard. There were 24 2nd class medals awarded, including to Détaille*. There were 13 mentions honorable given, including to Guillemet, Merson* and Joseph de Nittis. These ‘mentions honorable’ were not listed as an official award.

In the engraving section (no.4) Félix Bracquemond received a 2nd medal.
The worth of the Grande Médaille d’Honneur, nor the other medals are noted.
Note*: (future) members of L’Institut, see Academic painters.

Légion d’Honneur:
There were 2 people appointed as Officier in the Légion d’Honneur, including the sculptor Henri-Michel-Antoine Chapu. 15 artists were appointed as Chevalier, including Carolus-Duran and the Dutch sculptor Ferdinand Leenhoff (brother-in-law of Edouard Manet).

 

Sources:
Namely the Explication des Oeuvres of 1872 and 1873 (for the awards) (=R337).
See at the bottom of the main page on the Salon.
See link for the subscriptions of the paintings.

 

Recommanded citation: “Meta-Impressionism / other exhibitions: Salon of 1872; info and pictures. Last modified 2025/12/03. https://www.impressionism.nl/1872-salon/”

 

Note: additional info and pictures will be added.