Through Jan. 23, visitors to the Frist Center for the Visual Arts in Nashville will have the chance to see 100 paintings from the Musee d’Orsay in Paris.
As the title of the show explains, “The Birth of Impressionism” chronicles the development of impressionist artists who lived in Paris during the middle to late 19th century. These painters were radical for their time as they departed from the academic and realistic art that represented the accepted and endorsed style.
The exhibition is divided into 13 themes, ranging from the allure of nature to images of modern life.
Among the highlights are Whistler’s “Arrangement in Gray and Black, No. 1: Portrait of the Painter’s Mother,” Manet’s “The Fifer,” Bouguereau’s “Birth of Venus,” Caillebotte’s “The Floor Scrapers,” Degas’ “Ballet Rehearsal on the Set” and “Racehorses Before the Stands,” Renoir’s “Boy With a Cat” and Monet’s “Church at Vetheuil.”
The Frist, 919 Broadway in downtown Nashville, is open 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursday and Friday; and 1-5:30 p.m. Sunday (all times Central). Admission is $15 for adults; $10 for seniors, military and college students; and free for visitors 18 and younger. Call 615-244-3340.