Impressionist Paris: A Panoramic View of Paris in French Impressionism

Magnificent publication on the depiction of Paris by the French impressionists such as Monet, Cassatt, Renoir and Degas

In 1867, Claude Monet painted three iconic views of Paris from the balcony of the Louvre, thus firing the starting shot of Impressionism. This book explores these groundbreaking works in detail, alongside a multitude of other Impressionist paintings and drawings.

Experts from leading museums around the world show how Paul Cézanne, Gustave Caillebotte, Mary Cassatt and many others also depicted Paris in the midst of a radical transformation. Their artworks transport us to the birth of the French capital as a modern metropolis. They grant us entry to the theatres, parks and boulevards of Haussmann’s Paris, where the bourgeoisie parade their new-found wealth. In a new world dominated by fashion and consumption, the graceful Parisienne emerges as the symbol of this vibrant world city. But behind the facade of light, beauty and romance, political unrest and revolution are in the air. This turbulent period is brought to life in this publication through original photographs, posters, letters and satirical prints.

Published to accompany the exhibition New Paris: From Monet to Morisot at Kunstmuseum Den Haag from 15 February until 9 June 2025.

Frouke van Dijke is a curator at Kunstmuseum Den Haag. She is specialized in 19th-century art.