French Moderns: Monet to Matisse, 1850–1950

In France, the years between the Revolution of 1848 and the end of the World War II were characterized by sweeping social, intellectual, and political change. The art world, centered in Paris, also witnessed remarkable transformations as artists experimented with bold, expressive styles that revitalized traditional genres. 

French Moderns: Monet to Matisse, 1850–1950 showcases more than 50 works from the distinguished Brooklyn Museum collection, encompassing the key avant-garde movements that emerged in and around Paris during this period. Realism, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Symbolism, Fauvism, Cubism, and Surrealism are represented in remarkable examples by the era’s leading artists, including Paul Cézanne, Marc Chagall, Camille Corot, Edgar Degas, Henri Matisse, Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot, and more.

French Moderns: Monet to Matisse, 1850–1950 is organized by Lisa Small, Senior Curator of European Art, and Richard Aste, former Curator of European Art, Brooklyn Museum.

^{Image above: Claude Monet (French, 1840–1926). Rising Tide at Pourville, 1882. Oil on canvas, 26 x 32 in. (66 x 81.3cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mrs. Horace O. Havemeyer, 41.1260. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)}