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Meta-impressionism: other exhibitions:

Independent group exhibitions

forerunners and followers

 

Introduction:
The ‘impressionist’ expositions from 1874-86 were independent group expositions. Independent namely of the Salon, the most important yearly exhibition in Paris. Before 1874 there had been some initiatives for independant group exhibitions and even more ideas. On this page you will find an overview. After 1874 the number of independent group exhibitions increased, namely with the exhibitions of Les XX in Brussels (1884-1893) and the exhibitions of the Salon des Indépendants in Paris.
In this overview I will not include the Salon des Refusés and the requests for them, as many sources on Impressionism do. These Salons were not independant but ordained or rejected by the authorities. I will neither include the independent exhibitions of Courbet (in 1855 and 1867) and Manet (1867) alongside the Expositions Universelle. These were individual exhibitions, not group exhibitions and reserved only for wealthy artists. Neither will I mention art-works (that were rejected by the Salon) that were exhibited at art-dealers. In the relation with art-dealers there also is a form of dependency.

 

Ideas and initiatives for independent group exhibitions before 1874:
Before 1874 there had been some initiatives for independant group exhibitions and several ideas for organizing them. So the ‘impressionists’ weren’t the first to organize an independant group exhibitions. Here you will find an short overview.

Already in 1847 Dupré had the idea of an independent exhibition after Rousseau was rejected many times by the Salon (R59,p112).

In 1859 there was not a Salon des Refusés as some indicate. There was an exposition of refused at the atelier of Bonvin, with works of Legros, (Courbet?), Ribot, Whistler and Fatin-Latour (R88). Probably this is the same as the ‘Champs de Mars Salon’ founded by Théodule Ribot (1823-91) (iR69).

From 1862-67 there had been a Société des Aquafortistes. Daubigny, Millet were a member (R290,p197).

After the Salon des Refusés of 1863 there were not only many requests for another Salon des Réfusés, but also a permission to set up their own shows (R2,p95). Of course is needing a permission not fully independent.

After the rejection of Cézanne and others in 1866 Fortuné Marison threatened with the organisation of a rival exhibition overpowering the young over the old artists (R2,p96+114).

Bazille mentions in a lettre (1867/05) the idea for a separate exhibition organized by a group of young people. But they only had 2500 Franc to organize this private exposition, which wasn’t enough. Members of this group were Félix Bracquemond, Cézanne, Degas, Guillaumin, Monet, Morisot, Pissarro, Renoir, and related painters like Fatin-Latour , Guillemet, Manet and Barbizon painters like Daubigny, Corot, Diaz, Rousseau and Courbet (R2, p17+93; R22,p66; R59,p177). (Note that Rousseau was in that year the chairman of the Salon jury (R59,p183) and Manet and Courbet had their own private exhibitions.)

In another lettre two years later (1869/05) Bazille repeated this idea: ‘each year we will rent a large studio’. He writes that Courbet and Barbizon painters like Corot, Diaz, Daubigny and many others agreed to sent in their works (R2,p93).

In 1870 in a pamphlet Auguste Ottin proposed that separate groups of artists (a community of self-governing artists) would mount shows that the government would support with locations and funds (R2,p115;R287,p420). So, still a bit dependent. The idea was rejected by Maurice Richard and Charles Blanc (R287+425).

In 1872 this same Charles Blanc suggested in a rapport the idea of two Salons, one organized by the state and one by the artists. Bracquemond had already proposed this in 1870 and others did the same in 1871 (R2,p104).

1873/05/05 Paul Alexis, an art-critic and friend of the Impressionists, encouraged in an article the formation of artistic syndicates that would organize their own exhibitions. Monet replie there were already plans by him and others. Alexis published the letter and mentioned the next names of artists involved, calling them a group of ‘naturalists‘: naming ‘impressionists’ like Béliard, Guillaumin, Pissarro, Sisley and para-impressionists like Authier, Numa Coste, Amand Gautier, Jongkind, and Visconti. Monet already had mentioned this concrete initiative in a lettre dated 1873/04/22 to Pissarro (R2,p17+104; R22I,p104;R88II,p395). The art-critic Castagnary also pleaded for an independent exhibition without a jury (R3,p135).

Probably in 1873 there was a petition to the Minister of Fine Arts requesting to render the right to vote for the election of the jury to all the artists that exhibited the year before (at the Salon). The petition was signed by Cals, Colin, Monet, Lépine, Ottin, Pissarro, Sisley and also by Barbizon painters like Corot, Daubigny and Ribot. (aR4,p19+20). This was not a petition for an independent group exhibition, but for more influence of artists on the Salon.

 

Independant exhibitions after 1874:
The 1st ‘impressionist’ exposition was held in 1874. The last and 8th ‘impressionist’ exposition was held in 1886. Here you will find a chronological overview of independent group exhibitions organised after 1874. There was an increasing number of independant group exhibitions held 1884 onwards. It looks like the ‘impressionists’ with their independent group exhibitions had influenced others. But more study on this relationship would be interesting.
Since 1880 the Salon was organised by the ‘Société des Artistes Français‘, so the influence of the members was increased. I wonder if the independant group expositions of the ‘impressionists’ had reinforced this process to more independance.

L’Union:
In August 1875 Meyer, Pissarro and others founded an alternative group under the name ‘l’Union’. The first exhibition opened 1877/02/15. For more information see the page on Alfred Meyer.

Les XX (1884-93):
Founded in 1883 a group of about 20 artists called Les XX, organised independant group exhibitions yearly from 1884 till 1893 in Brussels. See seperate page.

Salon des Indépendants (1884 onwards):
After the Groupe des Artistes Indépendants organised an exhibition in April 1884 a group of artists seperated and formed the Société des Artistes Indépendants organising their first exhibition in December 1884. Since their second exhibition in 1886, the exhibitions were held yearly. See seperate page.

Salon des Aquarellistes Français, 1887 onwards:
Started in 1887. Members of the Société des Aquarellistes Français were several Barbizon painters exhibited like Français, Harpignies and several Para-Impressionists like Béraud, Besnard, Brown, Charles Cazin, Laurens, Lhermitte, Tissot.
Link to catalogue of 1887 (iR19//ia802606) and of 1888 (iR19//ia800700).

1889: exhibition at Café Volpini:
The ‘Exposition des peintures du groupe Impressionniste et Synthétiste’ was held in the Summer of 1889. The exposition was held in the Café des Arts, which was directed by M. Volpini and located at the Champs -de-Mars.  it was organised by Schuffenecker (and also by Gauguin). See seperate page.

1890-1918, Salon de la Société National des Beaux-Arts:
In 1889 a group had split of from the ‘Société des Artistes Français‘ and formed their own Salon de la Société National des Beaux-Arts. In 1918 went back together again. See seperate page.

1891-98: Expositions des peintres Impressionnistes et Symbolistes:
From late 1891 till early 1898 there were 15 expositions held of ‘peintres Impressionnistes et Symbolistes’ (=EIS) in the Gallery of Le Barc de Boutteville. See seperate page.

1892-97, Salon de la Rose + Croix:
There were 6 yearly exhibitions held from 1892-1897. See seperate page.

1894-1914, La Libre Esthétique:
The exhibitions of La Libre Esthétique are seen as a continuation of these of Les XX↑. It was solely founded by Octave Maus, who had the decisive voice. In this sense you can’t speak anymore of an independant group exhibition See seperate page.

1900-22, Société Nouvelle de Peintres et de Sculpteurs:
From 1900 till 1922 the Société Nouvelle de Peintres et de Sculpteurs organised yearly independant group exhibitions. See seperate page.

Salon d’Automne, 1903 onwards:
1903 onwards the Société de Salon d’Automne organised yearly exhibitions, that were much larger than the ‘impressionist’ expositions. See seperate page.

 

Sources:
My main sources are Moffett (1886=R2), Walther (2013=R3), Denvir (1993=R5), Wildenstein (1996=R22I), Adams (1994=R59), Monneret (1978-81=R88), Boime (R287), Sillevis (1985=R290). See the link for other general References (=Rx) and to the internet references (=iRx).

 

Recommanded citation: “Meta-Impressionism / other exhitions: Independent exhibitions, forerunners and followers of the ‘impressionist’ expositions. Last modified 2023/05/15.  https://www.impressionism.nl/independent-exhibitions/”

Note: additional info will follow.