In 2022, on the anniversary of Impression, Sunrise (Impression, soleil levant), the Normandy and Paris Regions propose that visitors seeking an invigorating cultural adventure experience the dawn of Impressionism by going from place to place to the spots that shaped the young Claude Monet’s palette.
It was 150 years ago, in November 1872, that Monet depicted the port of Le Havre awakening at first dawn, the sun emerging through the mist. Employing evocative brushstrokes, Monet, in a few hours, rendered the industrial port’s luminous atmosphere at daybreak. Showing boats’ silhouettes, the lapping sea and the sun’s reflections colouring sky and water… through Impression, Sunrise, Monet succeeded, in a masterpiece, in capturing on canvas all these shifting effects, helping change the course of art history. His iconic piece went on to give its name to Impressionism, opening the way to surely the most popular art movement in the world.
This painting, on display at the Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris, is closely associated with the Normandy and Paris Regions that witnessed the birth and blossoming of Impressionism. Impressionist artists were most active in Paris’ vibrant modern quarters, along the banks of the Seine and down Normandy’s coast. Today, these two regions combined offer exclusive Impressionist adventures: to contemplate so many masterpieces by these artists gathered together in prestigious museums; to learn so much about their everyday lives by visiting their homes, gardens and studios; and to experience the emotions that inspired them in so many breathtaking landscapes.
Enjoy inspiring moments in evocative landscapes, cycling outings on the trail of Impressionist artists, discovering new places to visit closely linked to the Impressionists, an exhibition-cum-event at the Mus e Marmottan Monet, the Nuits Normandie Impressionniste festival and more. From Paris to Le Havre, Honfleur to Trouville and Chatou to V theuil, it’s a whole destination at the heart of Impressionism that is celebrating, 150 years after such a seminal creation, the emergence of all this artistic effervescence.
Discover the venues and events which will celebrate the 150th anniversary of Impression, soleil levant (Impression, Sunrise)
Museums and sites
- Musée d’Art Moderne André Malraux (MuMa) in le Havre
- Musée Villa Montebello in Trouville-sur-Mer
- Les Franciscaines in Deauville
- Villa du Temps retrouvé in Cabourg
- Ferme Saint Siméon in Honfleur
- Musée Eugène Boudin in Honfleur
- Musée de la Grenouillère in Croissy-sur-Seine
- Restaurant Maison Fournaise in Chatou
- Maison impressionniste Claude Monet in Argenteuil
- Maison Berthe Morisot in Bougival
- Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris
- Musée d’Orsay in Paris
Trails and walks
- The Chemin des peintres, or artists’ trail, around Vétheuil
- Chemin des Impressionnistes in Saint-Germain-en-Laye
Activities and experiences
- Circuit impressionniste in an inflatable dinghy with Nautic Park in Bougival
- Guided tour sur les pas de Claude Monet in Vétheuil
- The Seine à Vélo along the banks of the Seine
- The Seine à Vélo cycle route around the Seine Estuary
Exhibitions and events
- Face au soleil in Musée Marmottan Monet
- The Nuits Normandie Impressionniste
- Maurice Denis. Bonheur Rêvé in Musée Maurice Denis
- Monet / Rothko in Musée des Impressionnismes Giverny
- Le décor impressionniste. Aux sources des Nymphéas in Musée de l’Orangerie
- Festival Lumières Impressionnistes 2022: Renoir invites Degas in Chatou
- The Renoir impressionniste, the immersive experience show tour in Musée Fournaise
- Georges Tardif (1864-1933), architecte du paysage in musée de l’Hôtel-Dieu
