Meissonier And The Founding Of The Société Nationale Des Beaux-Arts

Throughout the nineteenth century the Paris Salon served as an institution through which established artists, backed by the government and identified with the conservatism of the Academy and the Ecole des beaux-arts, perpetuated traditional values. Gradually, however, alternative exhibitions challenged the Salon, eroding its monopoly on sale-generating exposure and publicity. These alternatives included the galleries of private dealers, like Martinet and Durand Ruel, and organizations of rebellious artists, like the Impressionists' Societe anonyme des artistes, peintres, sculpteurs, graveurs, etc.