Early Impressionism and the French State (1866-1874)

Early Impressionism and the French State explores the reception of modernist painting in the years that preceded the Impressionist exhibition of 1874. Opening with an extensive analysis of the ministry of fine arts and the politics of the Salon, the study considers the Salon experiences of Courbet, Manet, and the group that became known as the Impressionists: Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, Degas, Morisot, Cézanne, and Bazille. This book also examines how art was politicized during the Second Empire and the impact that this had on the interpretation of early Impressionist works.