An extraordinary gathering of works by Claude Monet, Henri Matisse, Paul Cézanne, and other pioneering artists will be on view at the Mary M. Torggler Fine Arts Center at Christopher Newport University.

“French Moderns: Monet to Matisse, 1850–1950” opens November 7, 2026, at the Torggler and continues through March 28, 2027. Featuring 59 paintings and sculptures from the Brooklyn Museum’s renowned European collection, the exhibition offers visitors an opportunity to explore a century of artistic innovation.

“French Moderns” brings together works by some of the most influential artists of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Marc Chagall, Edgar Degas, Berthe Morisot, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Auguste Rodin. Together, their works reveal how artists transformed the way we see and represent the world.

The Torggler is proud to offer an exhibition of this caliber with free admission, making world-class art accessible to all.

“These works reflect a remarkable century in which artists reconsidered the very purpose and possibilities of art,” said Holly Koons, executive director of the Mary M. Torggler Fine Arts Center. “Beyond the distinction of the artists represented, the exhibition offers the opportunity to look closely and discover how artists of this era transformed even the most familiar or mundane subjects through their innovative approach to color and brushwork.”

The exhibition explores France’s central role in the development of modern art from the mid-19th to the mid-20th century. It includes artists born in France, as well as those drawn there to study, work, and exhibit, making the country, and especially its capital of Paris, a gathering place for new ideas and creative experimentation.

Organized around four themes – landscape, still life, portraiture, and the nude –”French Moderns” traces the movement from naturalistic depictions of the world toward increasingly expressive and abstract approaches. Visitors can explore familiar subjects through dramatically different artistic perspectives, discovering how generations of artists challenged convention and expanded the possibilities of art.

“As we mark the Torggler’s fifth anniversary, this exhibition expresses both the ambition of our founding vision and the promise of what lies ahead,” Koons said. “For the Peninsula and Hampton Roads region, it is an opportunity to encounter works of international significance in our own region. Creating opportunities for audiences of all ages and backgrounds to engage meaningfully with the visual arts is central to our mission. We hope the opportunity to view these masterpieces firsthand will be an inspirational experience, affirming the Torggler as a place where exceptional art is accessible to all.”

The nearly five-month presentation invites visitors to return, look more closely, and discover new connections among the works. Throughout the exhibition, the Torggler will host regular events, special tours, in-gallery musical performances, and talks that invite visitors of all ages to explore the art and ideas behind "French Moderns.” Program schedules and registration information for special events are available at thetorggler.org.

“French Moderns: Monet to Matisse, 1850–1950” is organized by the Brooklyn Museum and curated by Lisa Small, senior curator of European art, and Richard Aste, former curator of European art. An exhibition catalog published by Scala accompanies the exhibition.