Salon des Indépendants

The Salon des Indépendants was founded in 1884 by the Société des Artistes Indépendants as an exhibition operating without jury or awards, allowing artists to exhibit freely and independently of academic control. Established as a key alternative to the official Salon, it played a central role in the emergence and dissemination of avant garde art in Paris from the late nineteenth century into the postwar period.

From its early years, it became an important platform for avant garde practices, notably providing a venue for the development of Neo Impressionism through artists such as Georges Seurat and Paul Signac. In the early twentieth century, the salon continued to support emerging movements, including Fauvism, with the participation of artists such as Henri Matisse. In the postwar period, the Salon des Indépendants remained an annual exhibition presenting a wide range of contemporary artistic practices.