The Salon Rejections and Alternative Spaces

The late 1860s brought a series of disappointments as the Salon jury repeatedly rejected works by Monet and his friends. The Salon, held annually in the Louvre, remained the primary venue for artists to gain recognition, patronage, and sales. Its jury, dominated by academic painters and conservative critics, viewed the loose brushwork and bright colors of the new painting as evidence of incompetence rather than innovation.

Monet's "Women in the Garden," a large canvas painted entirely outdoors in 1866, was rejected by the 1867 Salon. The painting, showing four women in contemporary dress enjoying a sunny garden, exemplified everything the Impressionists were trying to achieve—natural light, modern subjects, spontaneous-seeming composition. Its rejection was a particular blow to Monet, who had invested months of work and his last resources in the painting.

These rejections fostered a growing sense among the group that they needed to find alternative venues to show their work. The Universal Exposition of 1867 provided one such opportunity. Courbet and Manet erected their own pavilions outside the official exhibition, creating a precedent for independent shows. While Monet could not afford such an expense, he took note of the possibility of circumventing official channels.