Americans in Paris 1860-1900

In the late 19th century as all eyes turned to Paris for the latest trends in art, artists from many countries traveled to Paris hoping to learn new techniques and to gain prominence as a result of having their works displayed amongst that of the local artists who were already garnering so much attention and adulation.

Among American artists who traveled to Paris for these very reasons were Mary Cassatt, Winslow Homer, John Singer Sargent, Thomas Eakins and James McNeil Whistler. The exhibition has traveled to various European cities and will end here in New York, at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It brings together 100 paintings that, despite their varying styles, all show clear evidence of French influence.

A free symposium on Americans in Paris 1860-1900 will be held at the museum's Grace Rainey Roger auditorium on November 30th. Later, on December 3rd at 2:00 p.m., a group presentation on the appreciation of American impressionist art will be held in this same auditorium.

Speakers and panelists will include: Alice Pratt Brown, curator of American paintings and sculpture at The Metropolitan Museum of Art; Eleanor Jones Harvey, Chief Curator, Smithsonian American Art Museum and William H. Gerdts, Professor Emeritus of Art History Graduate Center CUNY. This panel of experts will introduce and discuss what drew artists to Paris at this particular time in history, what they experienced and how those experiences affected their work.