Come face-to-face with over 100 iconic Impressionist works at Southeast Asia’s largest exhibition of French Impressionism from the world-renowned collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
SINGAPORE, 7 November 2025 – National Gallery Singapore presents Into the Modern: Impressionism from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston – Southeast Asia’s largest ever showing of French Impressionism. This must-see blockbuster offers visitors an extraordinary opportunity to encounter works by iconic artists such as Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Édouard Manet, Paul Cézanne, Berthe Morisot, and Edgar Degas, while exploring the enduring influence of modernity and its continued relevance today.
Opening on 14 November 2025, the exhibition features more than 100 artworks by 25 of the movement’s key artists, including 17 paintings by Claude Monet. This world-class collection is on loan from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA Boston) – which has one of the largest and most comprehensive holdings of Impressionist art outside France.
Developed jointly by the National Gallery Singapore and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the exhibition offers a fresh perspective on Impressionism and its dialogue with the rapidly changing world of the late 19th century. It explores how French Impressionists transformed the way light, colour, and everyday life were portrayed, capturing the spirit of modernity in ways that still resonate today. Set against the backdrop of sweeping social and cultural change, the works address themes that remain powerfully relevant — from rural labour and the rise of tourism to urban transformation and shifting gender roles — underscoring Impressionism’s lasting influence on how we see and experience the world.
Immerse in the vibrant world of Impressionism
Organised into seven thematic sections, Seeking the Open Air, Plein Air Impressionism, Labour and Leisure on the Water, Shared Ambitions, Modern Encounters, Reimagining the Commonplace, and Monet – Moment and Memory, the exhibition offers a distinctive presentation of the MFA’s collection.
The exhibition design heightens the immediacy of the Impressionists’ artworks. Spanning three gallery spaces, a cool-toned, contemporary aesthetic situates Impressionism within the present. Archival materials, such as historical photographs and posters, are displayed on a monumental scale throughout the exhibition, reflecting how life in the modern era of the Impressionists was one of constant dynamism and change while adding visual layers that deepen visitors’ engagement with the paintings and prints on display.
Visitors can also discover the legacy of Impressionism in Southeast Asia through three reflection zones and interactive learning stations across the galleries. Called ARTeliers, these spaces highlight how Impressionist techniques were adapted in the region. A specially commissioned animated film traces the rise of plein air painting in Vietnam, while another section explores how Singapore artist Georgette Chen captured the play of light and reflection in works like Singapore Waterfront (1963). Visitors can even try brushstrokes inspired by her style. A third ARTelier focuses on Singaporean artist Lim Yew Kuan, whose iterative prints recall the approach of Camille Pissarro, featured in the exhibition.
A fresh lens on a world-renowned collection
“Through our close collaboration with the MFA, we are proud to bring one of the world’s greatest collections of Impressionism to the Gallery,” says Dr Eugene Tan, CEO and Director of National Gallery Singapore. “Into the Modern presents these seminal works through a distinct curatorial lens that connects Impressionism to contemporary conversations about society, the environment, and urban life. At the same time, it explores the legacy of Impressionism in Southeast Asia. Presenting the exhibition in this way highlights the Gallery’s role in facilitating dialogue that connects the art of Singapore, Southeast Asia and the rest of the world, in keeping with Singapore’s role as a nexus where global and regional art histories intersect. This exhibition reflects our commitment to making world-class art accessible to audiences in Singapore and Southeast Asia, while opening new perspectives on its enduring significance.”
“It is our great honour to be the first US partner of National Gallery Singapore, and to share these timeless masterpieces with visitors from Singapore and throughout Southeast Asia,” said Mr Pierre Terjanian, Ann and Graham Gund Director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. “This project exemplifies the power of art to connect people across time, cultures, and place, to ideas past and present. We are extremely proud of the collaboration between our two institutions to bring this exhibition to life. This partnership has fostered new insights into the MFA’s Impressionist collection, bringing fresh perspectives on iconic works by artists like Monet, Renoir, and Degas. From rural farmlands to coastal resort towns or sites of urban leisure, these 19th-century visions of modern life continue to inspire contemporary audiences not only through their beauty, but through their ability to underscore issues that still impact all of us today, more than a century after these works were made.”
The exhibition opens with Seeking the Open Air, an immersive introduction with projected archival photographs that transport visitors into the forested landscapes that inspired mid-19th-century artists. During this era of rapid change — marked by new railways, roads, and industrialisation — artists sought to capture the rustic beauty of nature before it vanished. Painter Théodore Rousseau, an early advocate for land conservation, successfully petitioned the French government to protect parts of the Fontainebleau forest as a national preserve. By painting outdoors, artists developed naturalistic and nuanced depictions of forests and farmlands, laying the foundations for the plein air (open-air) approach later embraced by the Impressionists.
Building on these beginnings, Plein Air Impressionism explores how Impressionist artists transformed outdoor painting into a hallmark of the movement. Featuring a work by Edgar Degas first shown at the inaugural Impressionist exhibition in April 1874, this section traces the early evolution of the style. Painting en plein air, artists like Pierre Auguste Renoir and Claude Monet captured shifting light and fleeting moments of everyday life with bright palettes and expressive brushwork — reflecting the immediacy and dynamism of modernity.
In Labour and Leisure on the Water, visitors encounter late-19th-century touristic posters that celebrated Normandy’s coastal resorts, such as Trouville — popular with both holidaymakers and painters of the time. The vibrant works on display range from intimate harbour scenes to sweeping seascapes, illustrating how expanding railways, steamboats, and ports made travel newly accessible. Water becomes the unifying motif, reflecting both the rhythms of work and the pleasures of leisure, and revealing how artists captured the changing relationship between people and place.
The fourth section, Shared Ambitions, delves into the collective spirit of the Impressionists — not only their shared artistic pursuit of modern life, but also their political sympathies. Prints and paintings by Camille Pissarro depict rural labour and scenes of everyday work, reflecting his belief in social equality and the dignity of labour. Visitors are invited to “look twice”: what first appears as a picturesque landscape often contains subtle commentaries on social and political realities.
Modern Encounters transports visitors to the vibrant streets and interiors of late-19th-century Paris. Massive urban redevelopment had reshaped the city, inspiring artists to capture its new rhythms — its cafés, boulevards, and domestic spaces. Through suspended panels of archival photographs and posters, the section immerses visitors in the social fabric of modern Paris. Highlights include a recently rediscovered self-portrait by Victorine Meurent, once famed as Édouard Manet’s favourite model. Displayed alongside Manet’s depictions of her, Meurent’s painting offers a rare opportunity to see how she viewed herself — as both subject and artist — in the modern world she helped define.
Reimagining the Commonplace looks at how still life became a favourite subject for the Impressionists and their peers — a testing ground for new ideas. By reinventing a familiar genre, these artists broke away from traditional rules of perspective and composition. In the quiet of their studios, they experimented with form, texture, and colour, using expressive brushwork and daring arrangements to find fresh beauty in ordinary objects.
The exhibition concludes with Monet — Moment and Memory, a striking finale featuring nine iconic works by Claude Monet, arguably the world’s most popular Impressionist artist. Displayed along gently curved walls, the presentation invites visitors to follow a contemplative path through Monet’s evolving explorations of light, colour, and atmosphere. Each canvas bears his unmistakable touch — alive with movement and luminosity — revealing why his art continues to captivate audiences worldwide. The journey ends with the only known film footage of Monet, shot in 1915, offering a rare glimpse of the artist at work and underscoring the Impressionists’ connection to the dawn of the modern, cinematic age.
Ms Lian Pek, Singtel’s Vice President of Group Corporate Affairs and Investor Relations, said, “We are immensely pleased to support the Into the Modern landmark impressionism showcase at the Singtel Special Exhibition Gallery of the National Gallery. Who would have thought that the iconic masterpieces of Monet, Cezanne and Degas would one day come to the shores of our little red dot for Singaporeans and visitors to enjoy? With the exhibition also spotlighting the legacy of impressionism in Southeast Asia, this is not just a showcase of a French art movement but an exploration of the connections and conversations that it inspired globally. Having connected communities across the world for over 140 years, this is something that resonates deeply with us at Singtel.”
“J.P. Morgan is proud to be the Presenting Partner of Into the Modern: Impressionism from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston,” says Wai Mei Hong, Senior Country Officer for J.P. Morgan Singapore. “We are delighted to support this landmark exhibition, which brings world-class Impressionist works to a wide audience in Singapore, and fosters greater appreciation for the arts.”
“Singapore Tourism Board is delighted to support National Gallery Singapore’s landmark Impressionist exhibition, featuring masterpieces from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, that have never been shown in Southeast Asia before. This rare opportunity to experience the works by Monet, Renoir, Degas, and other celebrated Impressionist artists reflects Singapore’s growing reputation as a regional cultural destination that offers unique, high-calibre experiences that appeal to both locals and visitors,” said Ms Guo Teyi, Director, Leisure Events, Singapore Tourism Board.
Impressionist-themed partnerships and merchandise
For a delightful taste of Impressionism, Pierre Hermé Paris presents Into the Haute Pâtisserie, an exclusive pop-up at National Gallery Singapore from 14 November to 31 December 2025, in collaboration with Resorts World Sentosa and Stellaire. Visitors can indulge in Pierre Hermé’s signature macarons, available in special-edition box sets adorned with two iconic Impressionist artworks featured in the exhibition.
To extend the experience beyond the galleries, Fairmont Singapore’s ANTI:DOTE will offer An Impressionist-Inspired Afternoon Tea, a menu of artfully plated sweet and savoury delights inspired by Into the Modern. Available from 6 November 2025 to 31 January 2026, this high tea celebrates the colour, creativity, and charm of Impressionism through an exquisite culinary interpretation.
The Gallery Store by ABRY will also launch a line of exclusive exhibition merchandise, available both online and in-store. Visitors can take home a piece of the experience with items such as the exhibition catalogue, tote bag, umbrella, tea towel, coasters, and more.
Into the Modern: Impressionism from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston at National Gallery Singapore
Into the Modern: Impressionism from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston runs from 14 November 2025 to 1 March 2026, and is organised by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, in partnership with National Gallery Singapore.
Visitors may purchase Special Exhibition Passes via the Gallery’s website at $25 each ($15 for Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents) to visit the exhibition at the Singtel Special Exhibition Galleries.
The exhibition would not be possible without the generous support of the exhibition’s Series Partner Singtel, Presenting Partner J.P. Morgan and Strategic Partner the Singapore Tourism Board.
