Salon (art exhibition)

Salon (art exhibition)
Name	Salon
Caption	Salon exhibition, Paris, 19th century
Established	1667
Location	Paris, France
Type	Art exhibition
Founder	Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture

Salon (art exhibition) was a recurring official art exhibition originating in 17th‑century Paris that became the preeminent public showcase for painting, sculpture, and decorative arts in France and influenced art markets across Europe and North America. It was organized by institutions and academies that included the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture, later evolving through administrations such as the École des Beaux‑Arts and the Société des Artistes Français, and it structured careers for artists from Jean‑Baptiste‑Siméon Chardin to Édouard Manet. Over centuries the Salon intersected with events like the French Revolution of 1789, the Paris Commune, and international exhibitions such as the Exposition Universelle (1889).

History

The Salon's roots lie in the 17th century when the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture held official shows at venues including the Salon Carré of the Louvre Palace and later the Palais des Tuileries. In the 18th century artists such as Antoine Watteau, Jean‑Honoré Fragonard, François Boucher, and Hyacinthe Rigaud gained prominence through Salon displays, while critics like Diderot wrote reviews that shaped reputations. The Revolutionary period and the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte transformed state patronage, and under the Restoration and the July Monarchy the Salon became institutionalized with juried admissions and prizes tied to the Prix de Rome. The 19th century saw clashes between Salon orthodoxy represented by academicians like Ingres and avant‑garde figures including Gustave Courbet, Édouard Manet, Camille Pissarro, Claude Monet, and later Paul Cézanne. Late‑19th and early‑20th century ruptures produced alternative exhibitions such as the Salon des Refusés, the Salon des Indépendants, and the Salon d'Automne, which showcased artists like Paul Gauguin, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, and Wassily Kandinsky.

Organization and Format

The Salon was administered by bodies such as the Académie des Beaux‑Arts and the Société des Artistes Français and took place at institutional venues including the Louvre, the Grand Palais, and the Palais des Champs‑Élysées. Layout conventions favored large history paintings by practitioners like Nicolas Poussin and Émile‑Jean‑Horace Vernet, alongside portraiture by Thomas Gainsborough and Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun and sculpture by Antoine Coysevox and Auguste Rodin. Catalogues listed exhibitors such as Ingres, Delacroix, Édouard Manet, Gustave Moreau, Jean‑Léon Gérôme, Pierre Puvis de Chavannes, and Jules Bastien‑Lepage while critics from journals like Le Charivari and newspapers such as Le Figaro offered coverage. The Salon's dates and hanging practices were influenced by municipal authorities of Paris and by international audiences traveling from cities like London, Rome, Vienna, and Berlin.

Selection, Jurying, and Prizes

Selection for the Salon was determined by juries composed of academicians and established artists including members from the Académie Royale and later the Société Nationale des Beaux‑Arts. Criteria privileged academic subjects codified by theorists like Gérard de Lairesse and favored winners of state awards such as the Prix de Rome and the Legion of Honour recipients like Eugène Delacroix. Rejection of works by avant‑garde practitioners led to institutional responses: the 1863 appointment of jury members sparked the Salon des Refusés by imperial decree, while independent committees founded the Salon des Indépendants and the Salon d'Automne to bypass juried control. Prize systems and medals affected commissions from patrons including the Comte de Provence, municipal procurement from the Hôtel de Ville of Paris, and purchases by collectors like Théophile Gautier and museums such as the Musée du Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay.

Notable Salons and Exhibitions

Prominent iterations include the 1667 inaugural exhibition under the Académie Royale, the 1763 shows featuring Jean‑Baptiste Greuze, the revolutionary era exhibitions during the First French Republic, the 1863 Salon and resulting Salon des Refusés which exhibited works by Édouard Manet and James McNeill Whistler, the 1886 Salon with Impressionists such as Claude Monet, Pierre‑Auguste Renoir, and Edgar Degas, and the 1903–1910 Salons that intersected with movements culminating in Fauvism and Cubism featuring artists like Henri Matisse, Georges Braque, and Pablo Picasso. Parallel events—the Exposition Universelle (1900), the Venice Biennale, and national exhibitions in Germany and United Kingdom—responded to Salon practices and promoted artists such as Max Liebermann, John Singer Sargent, William Turner, J. M. W. Turner, and Gustav Klimt.

Impact on Art and Society

The Salon structured professional pathways for artists—ushering careers of Jean‑Baptiste‑Siméon Chardin, Jacques‑Louis David, Ingres, Édouard Manet, and Auguste Rodin—and shaped collecting patterns among patrons like Prince de Galles and institutions such as the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It framed public taste across urban centers including Paris', London', Rome', and New York City', influenced critics like Charles Baudelaire and John Ruskin, and intersected with political events including the Revolution of 1848 and the Franco‑Prussian War. The Salon also affected art education at the École des Beaux‑Arts and was central to debates about modernity pursued by figures like Clement Greenberg and Roger Fry.

Criticism and Controversies

Critiques of the Salon targeted academic conservatism represented by juries and academicians such as Jean‑Léon Gérôme and disputes over censorship, nationalism, and taste highlighted controversies during episodes like the Salon des Refusés and the 1874 Impressionist exhibitions. Scandals involved jury decisions that excluded artists like Paul Cézanne and Vincent van Gogh and legal suits over defamation in journals such as La Libre Parole. Debates over state funding and municipal commissions implicated administrations from the Third French Republic and prompted alternative organizations including the Société des Artistes Indépendants and revolutionary collectors such as Paul Durand‑Ruel.

Category:Art exhibitions