However, the term “Impressionism” was not new. The title of the painting seemed to be chosen in haste for the urgent printing of the exhibition catalog. This painting is credited with inspiring the name of the “Impressionist” movement. “Impression, Sunrise” by Claude Monet, was first shown at what would become known as the “Exhibition of the Impressionists” in Paris in1874. *To celebrate the 150 th anniversary of the impressionist movement’s founding artwork, the Marmottan Monet Museum will open an exhibition on 21 September entitled ‘Facing the Sun’.Impression, Sunrise Impression – Soleil Levant by Claude Monet ‘Impression, sunrise’… The Mona Lisa of impressionism? ‘Impression, sunrise’ disappeared for five years, before being miraculously rediscovered in 1990 in an apartment in Porto-Vecchio, Southern Corsica, following an extraordinary hunt launched in Japan using contacts in the Yakuza (organised crime network).ĭid this crazy theft help to establish the painting’s legend? The entire world wants to see this pivotal modern artwork, which is now venerated from New York to Tokyo. In 1985, when Claude Monet had become one of the most sought-after artists, three gunmen entered the Marmottan Museum and stole the masterpiece. When loaned to the Mulhouse Museum, the artwork was insured for… 50 million francs! It was not until the 1950s that well-known art historians, including the American John Rewald, pointed out the artwork’s founding role. ‘Impression, sunrise’ sat protected in the Château de Chambord during the war, waiting in the shadows. Deemed too ground-breaking, the artwork was ignored. They decided to gift it to the Marmottan Museum in 1940, which was owned by the Académie des Beaux-Arts. The price highlighted the indifference towards it at the time! Georges Bellio, benefactor of impressionists and new owner of the painting, bequeathed it to his daughter Victorine and his son-in-law Eugène Donop de Monchy. The artwork was resold four years later, through Drouot during a court auction of the Hoschedé collection, for the modest sum of 210 francs. In May 1874, the daring ‘Impression, sunrise’ was purchased for 800 francs by collector Ernest Hoschedé. ” Louis Leroy lambasted more generally what he ironically christened “the exhibition of impressionists”, little imagining that half a century later the movement – whose reputation he incidentally established – would generate such international enthusiasm! I thought to myself, this has made an impression on me so there must be impressions somewhere in there. In his article dated 25 April, the journalist held nothing back: “An impression, I’m sure. Its most vociferous critic, Louis Leroy, mocked this seascape with its sketch-like style that flouted the rules of academic painting. Did you know that the topographical, iconographical, meteorological and astrological studies undertaken by University of Texas astronomer and physics professor Donald Olson have enabled this painting to be extremely precisely dated? It was at 7.35 am on 13 November 1872, thirty minutes before dawn, that the artist created his masterpiece in one sitting…Įxhibited two years later, on 15 April 1874, in photographer Nadar’s former studio, the painting caused outrage. From a room at the Amirauté Hotel located at 41-45 Grand-Quai, Claude Monet captured Le Havre’s outer harbour in the dawn fog… The exact date of this painting, with its clearly defined pure orange sun and distilled light reflections in the water, has long been debated. Claude Monet, ‘Impression, sunrise’ (1872).

2. Claude Monet Impression Sunrise