From Boston with love: The stories behind the NGV’s winter blockbuster

Behind the once-radical works of French Impressionism going on show are the real-life histories of artists who hung out and collectors who hung on.

Paul Cézanne’s ‘The pond’ c. 1877-79, oil on canvas, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Arthur Gordon Tompkins Fund

Jane Cornwell

May 28, 2021 – 12.00am

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More than 100 masterworks of French Impressionism are poised to go on display at the National Gallery of Victoria. Every one of them – from Degas to Renoir, Monet to Pissarro, Boudin to Caillebotte to Mary Cassatt – comes with a wealth of stories. Stories that, when told, bring these street scenes and landscapes, these still lifes, portraits and cosy interiors, even more vividly into being.

Look hard. Contemplate. Let the exhibition’s immersive design help you discover. Oh, and wear your comfiest shoes. Getting around might take a while.