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Gallery 827 - Salon Painting

Part of European Paintings

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The Paris Salon—the official, juried exhibition of the Académie des Beaux-Arts—was a high-profile venue for contemporary art for much of the nineteenth century; a successful (or controversial) Salon submission
could make a career. Paintings commensurate with the conservative tastes of the Salon—technically pristine, idealized pictures, or, in later decades, refined variations on Realist and Impressionist styles—were snapped up by a cosmopolitan elite. The promise of popular acclaim and financial success attracted not only French artists but also an international contingent, many of whom trained or worked in Paris, eager to try their fortunes in the capital of the art world.

Few collectors were more enthusiastic about Salon painting than upper-class Americans, including a number of major benefactors to the Metropolitan. Galvanized by a flock of newly founded commercial galleries, wealthy patrons filled their homes, and eventually the Museum's galleries, with premier examples of the most sought-after and fashionable art of the day.

This gallery is one of ten that comprise the Henry J. Heinz II Galleries.

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