The NGV returns to French Impressionism — Art Guide Australia

The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) has announced the next instalment of the Winter Masterpieces series will be a return to French Impressionism—an exhibition from 2021 that closed as soon as it opened due to global pandemic restrictions.

The exhibition is presented in partnership with the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), who hold one of the most extensive collections of French impressionist paintings outside of France. Melbourne audiences will be presented with a selection of works from Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Camille Pissarro, Mary Cassatt, Berthe Morisot, and more. There will be 19 Monet paintings, 16 of the canvases presented together in one gallery, that depict some of the artist’s most famous scenes: his garden in Giverny, as well as the Normandy and Mediterranean coasts.

With over 100 paintings, the 2025 presentation of French Impressionism will be one of the largest and most significant collections of French impressionism ever to visit Australia.

NGV director Tony Ellwood AM said: “One of the core roles of the NGV as a public institution is to share art and culture with all Victorians – and we are delighted to be able to finally share the MFA Boston’s important collection with local audiences. Their collection has the unique ability to narrate the entire trajectory of the Impressionist movement – from its precursors to its zenith – with rich detail and nuance. We have worked closely with our colleagues in America to once again secure this exhibition for Australian audiences. We are incredibly grateful to them for entrusting us with these extraordinary and art historically important masterpieces and for their commitment to this ambitious presentation.”

The Winter Masterpieces exhibitions are one of the NGV’s most popular attractions. Previous seasons have seen the likes Pablo Picasso, Pierre Bonnard, the Terracotta Warriors, and most recently Pharaoh—a historical exhibition chronicling ancient Egyptian artefacts—which welcomed more than 336,000 local, interstate and international visitors.

French Impressionism
National Gallery of Victoria
From 6 June 2025