In the spring of 1874, Monet, Cézanne, Renoir and 28 other artists who had been shunned by the Paris Salon decided to band together and find a different venue in which to exhibit their works. The photographer Nadar duly offered up his studio and an exhibition was held, which the critic Louis Leroy reviewed scathingly, taking particular aim at Monet’s dream-like painting Impression, Sunrise.
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