The World's First Art Fairs - The Eight Impressioinist Exhibitions of 1874-1886

LA JOLLA, Calif. - Dec. 17, 2018 - PRLog -- Together, ArtConsultant.com and IRequireArt.com have developed a dedicated Facebook page to look back, day by day, at the eight exhibitions which rewrote the history of art while they redefined art marketing. Both 'Modern Art' and modern art marketing were born in Paris by the impressionists.

The address of this new page is ImpressionstExhibitions.com

Traditionally, the Paris Salon had imposed strict criteria for the annual exhibitions hosted at the Louver by the Academie des Beaux Arts. The Musee d'Orsay recalls: "Academic painting was the expression of a craft where an apprenticeship in drawing took precedence, and which demanded "a perfect finish" and attention to detail. This was a meticulous style of painting, where every detail was included, down to a gaiter button or the reflections in the silver metal of a fireman's helmet."

Following the advent of photography in 1839, by the 1860s an artistic break from academic realism had become so so pronounced that, in 1863, Emperor Napoleon III ordered a Salon des Refuse which to select from more than 2000 painting rejected by the Paris Salon and mount a simultaneous non-commercial exhibition. The most famous painting unveiled in this exhibition was Manet's Dejeuner sur l'herbe whose naked prostitute caused a scandal by picnicking in the Bois de Boulogne between two full clothed gentlemen.

Impressionism stands alone, to this day. Never have more luminous careers been born from a single movement. Monet, Cezanne, Degas, Pissarro, and Berthe Morrisot were among the original exhibitors. Their number would soon come to include Caillebotte, Mary Cassatt, Gauguin, and Seurat. Attendance at these exhibitions grew from thousands to tens of thousands over a few short years. Attendees paid admission. Exhibiting artists were represented by diverse galleries. And, so it was that the formula for the modern art fair was born.  Many participating artists were catapulted to wealth and fame while numerous paintings became so famous that many were soon copied, in fact, one deceptive Renoir replicas has been identified by a prominent art historian as hanging in a noted American's collection. Another artist, best known as an outspoken bigot, enhanced his artistic reputation by participating in seven of these eight exhibits

IRequireArt.com has earned some quarter-million followers for their Facebook page. ArtConsultant.com has curated numerous museum exhibitions around the globe. Together, they invite guests to explore these twenty-five Impressionist Exhibition highlights. There will be a new post, daily, both at IRequireArt.com and  ImpressionistExhibitions.com until January 3rd. Lively discussions are already underway. All visitors will be welcome to share their comments with the organizers and with one another.