Impressionism, a historical reconstruction:
Display of art-works
at the
1st ‘impressionist’ exposition 1874
How were the art-works displayed at the 1st ‘impressionist’ exposition?
When I started this website I had the hope to come to a reconstruction of which art-works were how displayed at the former studio of Nadar at the Boulevard des Capucines during the 1st ‘impressionist’ exposisiton in 1874. But, I found out that it is impossible to identify all the about 225 art-works. In my slideshow I render suggestions for (allmost) all works, but many suggestions are very uncertain or just to compare. I also found out that the reviews give some indications on how the works were displayed, but these indications don’t render an overall picture.
So, on this page you will find a description of the indications that are given in the reviews. I will also refer to the Immersive experience ‘Tonight with the Impressionists, Paris 1874’ that was offered Spring 2024 in Musée d’Orsay. Enjoy!
Overall descriptions:
The reviews (=Rv) partly discribed how the works were displayed. The art-works were displayed in several rooms on two floors (Rv4+9;R410,p62). One review mentioned 7 or 8 rooms (Rv3), one 3 or 4*, one mentioned 6 (Rv13). Two rooms on the first floor were separated by a partition wall (R410,p62), so it can be seen as 3 and as 4 rooms. On the second floor 1 small room was probably the former photographer’s laboratory (R410,p62), maybe this wasn’t counted by Silvestre (Rv13). According to Burty the walls were brown-red (Rv1), there were draperies (Rv17) and at dusk there was gas lightning (Rv34). The paintings were hung in 1 or 2 rows (Rv4+6+25), the small ones beneath the large (Rv25). All this is nicely depicted in the Immersive experience↑.
Note*: Rv12; I assume this only referred to the first floor.
Alphabetical?
Castagnary wrote that the paintings were hung in alphabetical order, the letter with which to begin, being drawn by lot (Rv25). But, this could well have been cited from the statutes, being the original intentions. De Montifaud is the most precise on the hanging (Rv27). She makes clear that works of Monet and Renoir* were in one room↑ (likely not alphabetical). And also works of Cals, Debras and Degas↓ (this could well be alphabetical).
Note*: De Montifaud also makes clear that the Dancer of Renoir could be seen from a distance from the 3rd room as nicely depicted in the Immersive experience↑ (R410,p67).
De Montifaud (Rv27) indicates that a work of Colin (no.49) hung beneath one of Lépine (no.83) (probably not alphabetical).
Carjat (Rv21) mentions in one breath the very small canvasses of de Nittis and Léon Ottin (this could well be alphabetical).
All the art-works of 1 artist grouped together?
It seems that mostly all the works of an artist were hung in the same room. The engravings and 1 drawings of Bracquemond were shown together (Rv7) and (most of) the works of Latouche were shown together (Rv27). Chesnau (Rv29=30) mentions 6 paintings of Renoir, so probably shown together; obvious is the hanging order of no.141+143+142 mentioned by 3 reviews (Rv11+14+17).
Still, the display of all art-works of 1 artist together is not always fully clear.
Of Boudin the 3 oil paintings and the 4 aquarelles are mentioned in one breath (Rv21+25); but the pastels (no.20+21) are not mentioned at all. Of Brandon two jewish scenes are shown together (no.29+32bis); de Montifaud seperately mentions the charcoal carton (no.32). Degas his works are mentioned in several combinations, including the different techniques; still Drumont seperately mentions (probably) no.60. The works of Monet are mentioned in different combinations; his 7 pastels (no.99-102) are mentioned once in combination with other works, but this could also have been a citation from the catalogue (Rv4), so maybe they were displayed seperately. The works of Morisot are mentioned in different combinations, including the pastels and the aquarelles; still one review seperately mentions a pastel (Rv7) and two combine her aquarelles with those of Astruc (Rv27+29=30).
Thematical display?
Drumont made clear that the engravings and drawing of Bracquemond hung next to a work of Degas (Répétition pendant le jour; probably no.60, indicated as drawing and maybe a grisaille) and a pastel of Morisot (108/109/hc) and continues with the aquarelles of Astruc (2 +3-4or5 +5) (Rv7). Two other reviews combine the aquarelles of Astruc and Morisot (Rv27+29=30).
Some landscape and/or marine painters were mentioned within one paragraph, which suggests they hung in one room (Rv27+4=8), but in the summing up of names there is not enough uniformity to affirm this. In the Immersive experience it is suggested that the first room was dedicated to figure paintings and the 2nd to landscapes↓ (R410,p67), but I doubt if this is a proper representation.
Note:
The following works displayed in the Immersive Experience and in the 2024 catalogue (R410) are namely disputable: Attendu (no.7/11=p120), Cézanne (no44=p173), Degas (no.60=p147; no.61=p161), Guillaumin (no.66 must be 64=p27); Monet (no.97=R410,p4), Morisot (107=p144), de Nittis (117=p132/3; no.118bis=p130), Pissarro (no.136=p177; no.139=p209), Renoir (no.145=p17), Rouart (no.150=p188), Sisley (no.163=p172). The catalogue also renders substitutes, I won’t dispute those. Of course are all the works indicate of possibly suggestions in some way also disputable. See the accounts of the partakers.
It’s great that the catalogue showed suggestions for the pastels of Monet (no.99-102=p15+203), the pastels (no.20+21=p200-2) and watercolours (no.22=p190/1) of Boudin, but they can’t be identified.
Sources:
- Reviews on the 1st ‘impressionist’ exposition, see seperate page.
- Patry & Robbins (ed.): Paris 1874; inventer L’Impressionisme. Musée d’Orsay, Paris, 2024. (=R410)
Namely “Chez Nadar” by Hubert Naudeix, Sylvie Patry & Anne Robbins, page 62-67. - Immersive Experience; info Musée d’Orsay (M1;R411)
- Immersive Experience; intro video on YouTube (M1;R411)
Recommanded citation: “Impressionism, a historical reconstruction: Display of art-works at the 1st ‘impressionist’ exposition in 1874. Last modified 2024/10/09. https://www.impressionism.nl/1874-expo-display-of-art-works/”