Nantes, 1886: the Impressionist scandal

While the 1886 Salon de Nantes was hailed by the press and the public, it symbolized the tumultuous eruption of modernity in Nantes. Indeed, the Impressionists caused a scandal, triggering real controversy in the local press. The public was shocked by the sudden irruption of modernity on the walls of this landmark salon. The Salon symbolized a unique opportunity to show new aesthetic paths.

This event had a profound effect on attitudes, but also on collectors' tastes. The purchases made by private individuals and the city's museum changed the public's perception of the art of the time, as academicism gradually gave way to more daring forms such as Impressionism and Symbolism.

From art to modernity

The exhibition revisits this formidable Salon, which, through the finest works presented at the time, embodied art's exceptional turn towards modernity.

The exhibition is divided into five sections. The general introduction contextualizes the city of Nantes in 1886, organizer of a major provincial art fair. A series of themes allows us to reconstruct the spirit of an era, at a time when a daring art market and collections were developing, creating a new idea of "modernity" in the face of the academic past.

Gathered according to structuring themes, nearly 80 works - paintings, sculptures and drawings - from French and foreign public and private collections are on display.