Paris, Impressions of Life, 1880 - 1925

The busy banks of the Seine, bustling marketplaces, grand boulevards, idyllic public gardens, and the heady atmosphere of bohemian Montmartre are brought to life in more than 170 works of art and artisan objects. From the renowned collection of the Musée Carnavalet, the iconic museum of the history of Paris, this exhibition reflects on an effervescent period of great social change, urban development and artistic innovation which shaped modern Paris and continues to capture the global imagination.

Tour seven themed pathways and discover artisan street signs, historic couture, decorative arts, and everyday ephemera alongside paintings by artists including Jean Béraud, the pre-eminent painter of Parisian life in the Belle Époque, Maurice Utrillo and Paul Signac, pioneer of the artistic technique of pointillism, as well as vibrant graphic prints by Toulouse-Lautrec and his contemporaries.

Exhibition Curators
Valérie Guillaume and Anne-Laure Sol with assistance from Lara Cavallo and Clare Needham (Bendigo Art Gallery)

Paris Musées
Anne-Sophie de Gasquet, Executive Director
Céline Morchand, Head of International Relations
Anaïs Quinsat, International Project Manager

Musée Carnavalet - Histoire de Paris
Valérie Guillaume, Director
Daniéle Desideri, Secretary General
Anne-Laure Sol, Curator of Paintings and Stained Glass
Charlotte Lacour, Documentary Studies Officer, Print Collections
Lara Cavallo, Assistant Curator
Lény Roinné, Conservation Officer in Charge of Exhibits
Christiane Dale, Head of Collection Management
Lucie Schverer, Registrar

Exhibition Design
Anita Gigi Design with Cody Buchanan

The organisers would like to thank all their colleagues in Paris and the whole team at Bendigo Art Gallery for their collaborative contributions and generous support of this exhibition.
Special thanks also to the National Gallery of Victoria and the National Gallery of Australia for loans of historic French couture presented in this exhibition.