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The Impressionist Revolution: Monet to Matisse from the Dallas Museum of Art includes Monet’s famed water lilies and masterpieces by Cézanne, Degas, Manet, and more
It is super rare for any Impressionist exhibit to land in Toronto but the AGO has just announced that an exciting one featuring numerous masterpieces is coming here next month! A beautiful rebellion, the Impressionist movement ushered in new ways of seeing, creating, and marketing. This summer, the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) invites visitors to discover the defiant creativity that propelled this beloved art movement. A sweeping overview, The Impressionist Revolution: Monet to Matisse from the Dallas Museum of Art reveals the experimental techniques, materials and approaches that made these avant-garde artists infamous in their own time and influential well into the 20th century.
Opening in Toronto on June 24, 2026, this exhibition of 50 artworks is organized by the Dallas Museum of Art and curated by Dr. Nicole R. Myers, the DMA’s Chief Curatorial and Research Officer and The Barbara Thomas Lemmon Senior Curator of European Art. The AGO presentation will be led by Dr. Caroline Shields, AGO Curator, European Art.
The first ever Impressionist exhibition occurred in Paris in 1874. Rejecting the heroic, mythical, and historical subjects then in vogue, the avant-garde artists who participated shared a common desire to capture in paint all that which was contemporary and immediate—be it bustling sidewalks, lush landscapes, bathing nudes, or domestic interiors. The most prestigious public exhibition venue for living artists in 19th-century Paris was the annual Salon organized and juried by the state-run Academy of Fine Arts. By organizing their own exhibitions, the Impressionists bypassed this official system, an act that opened doors for future avant-garde artists.
“By breaking with tradition in how and what they painted, as well as how they showed their work, the Impressionists disrupted the conventions of high art and opened the doors to abstraction. The unique innovations of its core members, including Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, and Berthe Morisot, set the foundation for following generations to react against and build upon, from Paul Gauguin and Vincent van Gogh to Piet Mondrian and Henri Matisse,” said exhibition curator Dr. Nicole Myers, the DMA’s Chief Curatorial and Research Officer and The Barbara Thomas Lemmon Senior Curator of European Art.
“Impressionism is a beloved movement that can easily feel familiar to us today, but the artists behind these paintings were bold, innovative, and highly controversial in their time. These artists triumphed against odds. This exhibition helps us see what made their artwork so defiant, and how it impacted generations of artists to come. We are so pleased to be able to bring this moment to life through the exceptional holdings of the Dallas Museum of Art,” says Dr. Caroline Shields, AGO Curator of European Art. “I welcome visitors to find solace and beauty in Monet’s garden, and to rediscover the camaraderie and courage in them.”
Celebrating the Impressionist movement’s interest in light, nature, and perspective, the exhibition opens with Gustave Caillebotte’s sumptuous The Path in the Garden (1886). Organized into five sections, the exhibition’s chrono-thematic format is designed to highlight both the movement’s progression over time, from the 1870s until the 1920s, and its rebellious approaches.
The first section of the exhibition details the beginnings of this polarizing movement, introducing key artists, their innovative subject matter, and their then-novel direct-to-consumer marketing approach. The exhibition then shifts to consider the techniques and materials that make the Impressionist style possible – train travel, portable paint tubes, innovative cropping, and visible brushwork.
A selection of nature scenes highlights how landscape painting was transformed through the Impressionist gaze, inviting viewers to imagine themselves alone in and akin with nature – in gardens, on waterways, and in farm fields. Two of Claude Monet’s famed Water Lily paintings are set apart, offering visitors a unique moment of solace and contemplation.
The exhibition culminates with a generous selection of works from the many movements inspired by the Impressionists – paintings whose non-linear perspectives, expressive brushstrokes, and saturated colours pave the way for more abstract tendencies.
Featured artworks include:
- Seven works by Claude Monet, including his famed Poplars, Pink Effect (1891), and the dazzling Water Lilies (1908)
- The Port of Nice (1881-82) by Berthe Morisot, the only woman among the movement’s founding members
- Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s Roses and Peonies in a Vase (1876), a luscious arrangement of colourful broken brushstrokes, highlighting the artist’s interest in Asian floral motifs and ceramics
- Vincent van Gogh’s radiant Sheaves of Wheat (1890), a panoramic oil on canvas created in Auvers-sur-Oise, France, during the final weeks of his life
- Émile Bernard’s Le Salon (1890), a striking depiction of women whose unusual perspective and flat colouration reflects the Cloisonnist style he developed with Louis Anquetin in the late 1880s
- Henri Matisse’s Still Life Bouquet and Comptoir (1924), a painting whose atypical perspective is built through overlapping forms
- Film footage of Monet in his gardens at Giverny during WW1
On view on Level 4, AGO Members see The Impressionist Revolution: Monet to Matisse from the Dallas Museum of Art first, beginning June 24, 2026. AGO Annual Passholders can access the exhibition beginning July 1, 2026. The exhibition opens to the public on July 7, 2026, and is free with general admission.
Admission to the AGO is always free for Ontarians under 25, Indigenous Peoples, AGO Members, and Annual Passholders. For more details on how to book your tickets or to become a Member or Annual Passholder, visit AGO.ca.
In support of the Canada Strong Pass, the AGO is offering free or reduced admission throughout the summer for out of province visitors 24 years of age and under. More details to come at ago.ca/visit.
Shop & Dine
- The Shop offers a curated selection of artful keepsakes inspired by the exhibition — from prints, books, textiles to stationery and home décor. Highlights include The Impressionist Revolution: Monet to Matisse from the Dallas Museum of Art the 98-page hardcover exhibition catalogue; exhibition-inspired apparel; and an array of Impressionist artwork prints. Starting June 24, 2026, visitors can shop the full range of products online at shop.ago.ca and at the exhibition’s dedicated pop-up shop on Level 4.
- Launching June 26, in celebration of The Impressionist Revolution: Monet to Matisse from the Dallas Museum of Art, the Bistro presents an exhibition-inspired Afternoon Tea in the Grange House. A culinary escape into the Impressionist landscape, indulge in a menu of luminous colours and expressive brushstrokes. AGO Members receive a discount. Reservation portal to open soon. Stay tuned to ago.ca/dine/ago-bistro for more details.
Programming Highlights
- This summer, the AGO presents Painting Together: Watercolour in the Park (ages 6-10 with adult), a series of one-day workshops for children aged 6 to 10 and their adult caregivers to learn watercolour painting techniques in the studio and head outside to paint in Grange Park. Registration is for one child and one adult with all materials included. AGO Members receive a discount. For more details, visit ago.ca/learn/courses/painting-together-watercolour-park.
- Beginning Friday, July 3 and continuing on select dates throughout the summer, join us for Summer Maker Days: Impressionist Still Lifes in Walker Court as we invite artists, makers and art enthusiasts of all skill levels to engage in still life painting from 1 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., inspired by the exhibition The Impressionist Revolution: Monet to Matisse from the Dallas Museum of Art. All materials provided. Free with General Admission. For more details, visit ago.ca/events/summer-maker-days-impressionist-still-lifes.
- On Saturday, September 12, 2026, Stephan Jost, Michael and Sonja Koerner Director, and CEO of the AGO, joins Dr. Caroline Shields, AGO Curator of European Art, in Baillie Court for What is Impressionism? a conversation about the art, artists, and legacy of this beloved movement. Tickets for this event will go on sale in late August. AGO Members receive a discount. Stay tuned to ago.ca/events for more details.
Exhibition Credit
The Impressionist Revolution: Monet to Matisse from the Dallas Museum of Art is organized by the Dallas Museum of Art and curated by Dr. Nicole R. Myers, the DMA’s Chief Curatorial and Research Officer and The Barbara Thomas Lemmon Senior Curator of European Art.
@AGOToronto | #SeeAGO
Generous Support
Ira Gluskin & Maxine Granovsky Gluskin
Supported by the Government of Canada/Avec l’appui du gouvernement du Canada
ABOUT THE AGO
An architectural landmark, the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) is one of the largest art museums in North America. The AGO Collection of more than 120,000 works of art ranges from cutting-edge contemporary art to significant works by Indigenous and Canadian artists and European masterpieces. The AGO presents wide-ranging exhibitions and programs, including solo exhibitions and acquisitions by diverse and underrepresented artists from around the world. When it opens in 2027, the Dani Reiss Modern and Contemporary Gallery will present modern and contemporary art from Toronto and the world. With its groundbreaking Annual Pass program, the AGO is one of the most affordable and accessible attractions in the GTA. Visit ago.ca to learn more.
The AGO is funded in part by the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming. Additional operating support is received from the City of Toronto, the Canada Council for the Arts, and generous contributions from AGO Members, donors, and private-sector partners.
article submitted by the Art Gallery of Ontario
lead photo Claude Monet, The Water Lily Pond (Clouds), 1903. Oil on canvas, unframed: 74.6 x 108.0 cm. Dallas Museum of Art, The Eugene and Margaret McDermott Art Fund, Inc., bequest of Mrs. Eugene McDermott in honor of Nancy Hamon, 2019.67.13.McD.
