ticketsMember | Make a donation

The Organ Rehearsal

1885
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 684
This is the most important painting by Lerolle, a friend and collector of such artists as Degas, Denis, and Vuillard. Set in the choir loft of the church of Saint-François-Xavier in Paris, it features members of Lerolle’s intimate circle, including his wife (bare-headed) and her sisters, in fashionable matching hats; his brother-in-law, composer Ernest Chausson, plays the organ. The painter himself gazes outward at left. Shown at the Salon of 1885, this picture triumphed the next year in New York, in the first major Impressionism exhibition in America. One critic recalled, "spectators … spoke low before it, as if waiting for … the voice of the singer to be heard."

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Organ Rehearsal
  • Artist: Henry Lerolle (French, Paris 1848–1929 Paris)
  • Date: 1885
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 93 1/4 x 142 3/4 in. (236.9 x 362.6 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Gift of George I. Seney, 1887
  • Object Number: 87.8.12
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Seated Peasant, Paul Cézanne French, Oil on canvas
Seated Peasant
Paul Cézanne
ca. 1892–96
Madame Cézanne (Hortense Fiquet, 1850–1922) in a Red Dress, Paul Cézanne French, Oil on canvas
Madame Cézanne (Hortense Fiquet, 1850–1922) in a Red Dress
Paul Cézanne
1888–90
The Collector of Prints, Edgar Degas French, Oil on canvas
The Collector of Prints
Edgar Degas
1866
Haystacks (Effect of Snow and Sun), Claude Monet French, Oil on canvas
Haystacks (Effect of Snow and Sun)
Claude Monet
1891
The Four Trees, Claude Monet French, Oil on canvas
The Four Trees
Claude Monet
1891

Related Content

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.