Paris, April 15, 1874, eight o'clock in the evening. In the former studio of the famous photographer Nadar, on Boulevard des Capucines, some thirty independent artists are preparing to exhibit innovative works outside the official Salon. Ambitious, provocative, visionary... these painters are called Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir, Berthe Morisot, Paul Cézanne, Camille Pissarro and Edgar Degas.
This initiative marked the start of one of the major movements in the history of art: Impressionism. Follow in the footsteps of this group of daring painters and relive, in virtual reality, the birth of this great artistic movement!
This journey through time will take you beyond the exhibition to emblematic places from the beginnings of the Impressionist movement. You will be transported to the Salon of Painting and Sculpture, then to the studio of the painter Frédéric Bazille, where the idea for this exhibition was born.
You will also find yourself on the island of La Grenouillère, in the company of Monet and Renoir painting together, and finally in Le Havre, where Monet painted his famous painting "Impression, Sunrise". These different encounters allow you to gradually grasp the bonds of friendship and rivalry that unite the members of the group, the nature of their artistic quest and the scale of the movement they are creating.
What was Paris like at the time? How was Nadar's studio arranged? How were the exhibition's paintings hung? What did the painters look like?
This experiment is the result of ambitious and meticulous scientific work, supported by the Musée d'Orsay, which has made it possible to reconstruct, as faithfully as possible, this major artistic turning point.
Producers
A co-production by Excurio, GEDEON Experiences and the Musée d’Orsay Based on an original idea and new historical reconstructions by GEDEON Experiences
Authors
Emmanuelle PITON
Pierre GABLE
Excurio Producers
Emmanuel GUERRIERO
Fabien BARATI
Catherine SEYS
Creative Director
Pierre GABLE
GEDEON Experiences Producers
Stephane MILLIERE
Agnes GARAUDEL
Scientific direction
Sylvie PATRY
Anne ROBBINS
Composer
Vincent JACQ