Collection: The Impressionist Revolution from Monet to Matisse

Santa Barbara Museum of Art

October 5, 2025 - January 25, 2026

The Impressionist Revolution from Monet to Matisse explores the fascinating story of Impressionism from its birth in 1874 to its legacy in the early 20th century. Presented by the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, this exhibition reveals the rebellious origins of the independent artist collective known as the Impressionists and the revolutionary course they charted for modern art.

Breaking with tradition in both how and what they painted, as well as how they showed their work, the Impressionists redefined what constituted cutting-edge contemporary art. The unique innovations of its core members, such as Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, and Berthe Morisot, set the foundation against which following generations of avant-garde artists reacted, from Paul Gauguin and Vincent van Gogh to Piet Mondrian and Henri Matisse.

Celebrating the 150th anniversary of the first Impressionist exhibition, The Impressionist Revolution invites visitors to reconsider these now beloved artists as the scandalous renegades they at one time were, as well as the considerable impact they had on 20th-century art.