French Impressionist master works are on view in Melbourne show

A launch of the blockbuster exhibition of French Impressionist master works in Melbourne was a rousing success, with 110 works on display — 79 of them never seen before in Australia.

A blockbuster exhibition of French Impressionist master works by Monet, Renoir and van Gogh has been greeted with bonhomie and berets.

Matilda McKenna was among the eager crowd attending the launch of French Impressionism from the Museum of Fine Arts Boston exhibition at NGV International in Melbourne on Friday.

The exhibition comprises 110 works — 79 of them never seen in Australia.

The artists showcased include Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Paul Cezanne and Vincent van Gogh.

Art lover Matilda McKenna enjoyed the exhibition, which included one of her favourite paintings by French artist Claude Monet. Picture: David Caird

The exhibition was scheduled to open before the recent lockdown.

NGV director Tony Ellwood said: “On one level it has been heartbreaking knowing all this art was sitting here, and it’s only here for a finite period of time.

“The flip side is, during that time, we’ve perfected every detail, and our way of keeping ourselves going was to make sure this was going to be perfect when we did reopen.

“We expect audiences to delight in the pure joy and escapism of these paintings.”

The exhibition runs until October 3.