*Monet to Matisse* kicks off on Friday, January 30. (Wesley Chandler / Bham Now)

Don’t miss your chance to see the iconic and unforgettable masterpieces of Monet, Degas, Matisse, Pissarro and more without leaving the 205. This Friday, the Birmingham Museum of Art (BMA) officially opens Monet to Matisse: French Moderns, 1850-1950—a new exhibition featuring over 100 masterworks from both the BMA’s distinguished collection and the Brooklyn Museum’s esteemed European collection.

What to expect at Monet to Matisse: French Moderns, 1950-1950

Claude Monet (1840–1926), Le Matin, temps brumeux, Pourville (Misty Morning at Pourville), 1882, oil on canvas, 24 x 29 1/8 in. (61 x 74 cm); Collection of the Birmingham Museum of Art; Museum purchase with funds provided by 1977 and 1980-1983 Museum Dinner and Balls, 1981.40

Presented by PNC Bank, Monet to Matisse: French Moderns, 1950-1950 is a new exhibit highlighting France’s role as the epicenter of modernism during a time of profound social, intellectual, and political change. Drawing from both the BMA’s collection and the European collection from the Brooklyn Museum, Monet to Matisse features a range of paintings, sculptures and works on paper from artists like:

Paul Cézanne
Mary Cassatt
Edgar Degas
Henri Matisse
Claude Monet
Camille Pissarro
Pierre-Auguste Renoir
And many others

“In 2026, the Birmingham Museum of Art celebrates its 75th anniversary. As we commemorate this milestone year, we are pleased to present one of the most significant exhibitions of French modern art to come to Birmingham. Monet to Matisse offers a rare opportunity to experience the revolutionary spirit of these artists up close. From the dreamlike brushstrokes of Monet to the bold colors of Matisse, this exhibition reflects the radical creativity that forever changed the course of art history.”
Graham C. Boettcher, R. Hugh Daniel Director of the Birmingham Museum of Art

Berthe Morisot (French, 1841–1895). Madame Boursier and Her Daughter, circa 1873. Oil on canvas, 29 5/16 x 22 3/8 in. (74.5 x 56.8 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Museum Collection Fund, 29.30. (Photo: Sarah DeSantis, Brooklyn Museum)

Highlights of the exhibition include masterpieces like:

Claude Monet’s Le Matin, temps brumeux and Pourville (Foggy Morning at Pourville)
Auguste Rodin’s Age of Bronze
Berthe Morisot’s Portrait of Mme Boursier and Her Daughter

The exhibition will also feature innovative yet lesser-known artists such as Hungarian painter József Rippl-Rónai and the influential academic artist Jehan Georges Vibert.

“We are delighted to enhance this remarkable exhibition with fifty works from our own distinguished permanent collection. These additions not only showcase the contributions of French artists but also highlight the influence of Japanese visionaries who shaped the modernist movement and the American artists who carried its legacy forward, offering a more expansive view of modernism’s global resonance.”
Graham C. Boettcher, R. Hugh Daniel Director of the Birmingham Museum of Art

Carrie Hill (1875–1957), In the Foothills of the Pyrenees, 1922, oil on canvas, 38 3/8 × 38 3/8 in. (97.5 × 97.5 cm); Collection of the Birmingham Museum of Art; Gift of the Birmingham Art Club, 1951.255

The BMA will host a range of programs in conjunction with Monet to Matisse, including lectures, guided tours and interactive workshops.

Monet to Matisse will be on view at the BMA from Friday, January 30 to Sunday, May 24.

Tickets are now available for purchase on the BMA’s website; museum members receive a 50% discount on regular admission tickets.

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