Impressionist Works on Paper

Stern Pissarro Gallery is pleased to present Impressionist Works on Paper, an exhibition bringing together Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masters, whose innovations paved the way for modern art. Following the success of Celebrating 150 Years of Impressionism in 2024, the gallery once again turns its focus to this radical circle - this time through the intimate and experimental medium of paper. From the late nineteenth century onwards, works on paper began to be regarded not merely as preparatory studies but as independent artworks, sharing the same artistic ambitions as painting. This exhibition highlights that transition, featuring works by Paul Cézanne, Edgar Degas, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Eugène Boudin, Camille Pissarro, Édouard Vuillard, Pierre Bonnard, Paul Signac, Paul Gauguin, and others. The group later known as the Impressionists first exhibited together in Paris in 1874. Organised by Camille Pissarro, Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Alfred Sisley, the exhibition brought together artists who rejected the conventions of the Salon and sought to depict contemporary life and landscape with immediacy and direct observation. Though the show was initially met with scepticism and ridicule, the looseness of touch, clarity of light and emphasis on momentary effects soon became recognised as a turning point in the development of modern art. Works on paper played a crucial role in this shift. Their portability allowed artists to work en plein air with greater spontaneity, and dealers quickly recognised the accessibility and commercial potential of exhibiting such works. By the time the final Impressionist exhibition was held in 1886, works on paper had assumed a significant position within the group’s practice. Key works in the exhibition include a study of two jockeys by Edgar Degas, a large pastel portrait by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, a comprehensive selection of works by Camille Pissarro, and a group of works by Eugène Boudin. Together, these examples reflect the intimacy of works on paper, the range of approaches adopted by the Impressionists and the growing importance of the medium within their practice.