First Impressionist Exhibition at Nadar's studio

Background. In December 1873, artists including Monet, Renoir, and Pissarro founded the Société anonyme des artistes peintres, sculpteurs, graveurs to exhibit independently. Following the 1873 Salon, Monet proposed a group exhibition. They opened in April 1874, two weeks before the Salon, to distinguish it from a Salon des Refusés.

Exhibition Details. The exhibition opened on April 15, 1874, at 35 Boulevard des Capucines, Nadar's studio. Thirty artists participated. Monet displayed works including Impression, Sunrise, The Luncheon, and Boulevard des Capucines. The event was an alternative to the official Salon.

Origin of the Term. Louis Leroy's review, 'The Exhibition of the Impressionists,' published in Le Charivari on April 25, 1874, coined the term Impressionism. He used it to describe the new style, typified by Monet's painting Impression, Sunrise, which he viewed as a hazy depiction.