Member Previews—Collecting Impressionism at LACMA

Inspired by breakthroughs in industry and technology, visual culture in the final quarter of the 19th century in France expanded well beyond the traditional media of painting, sculpture, and drawing to include advances in printmaking, photography, decorative arts, and fashion. Yet, 150 years later, French Impressionism single-handedly defines this period at American art museums. Unpacking the reasons why, Collecting Impressionism at LACMA offers a surprising narrative about the people and artists who shaped LACMA, interrogating how trends in “taste” inform the museum’s collection.

From early acquisitions of American and California Impressionism to donations of paintings by Edgar Degas and Camille Pissarro from major Hollywood collectors, art was a tool of cultural legitimization that helped the institution grow in tandem with a developing city. Collecting Impressionism at LACMA illuminates the ways in which museum collections are constructed, and by extension, suggests how visitors can read the museum as a site of changing taste and changing narratives.

Access to Member Previews is a benefit of membership and as such is restricted to LACMA members only. Children accompanied by LACMA members are welcome in Member Preview galleries, but please note that discounted guest tickets purchased by members do not grant guests admission to Member Preview galleries.

Accessibility
To request accessibility accommodations, please email membership@lacma.org.