The Wallraf-Richartz Museum & Fondation Corboud in Cologne, Germany, is one of the country's leading art museums, housing a collection of approximately 70,000 works. This exhibition brings to Japan around 70 exceptional masterpieces from its renowned collection, showcasing Impressionism and the artistic movements that preceded and followed it.

In the latter half of the nineteenth century, a new generation of artists began to challenge the long-established European tradition that favored historical subjects and faithful representations of nature. Painters such as Gustave Courbet, Édouard Manet, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, and Théodore Rousseau turned their attention to everyday life and the natural world, seeking to paint what they observed directly.

Emerging from this artistic transformation, the Impressionists introduced a revolutionary style characterized by luminous colors and expressive brushwork.

Artists such as George Seurat and Paul Signac further developed these innovations through a more systematic exploration of color and technique. The Impressionists' emphasis on individual perception also paved the way for the highly personal artistic visions of Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin, whose legacy continued to inspire twentieth-century masters including Henri Matisse and Pierre Bonnard, helping shape the course of modern art.

Featuring works by 42 artists associated with Impressionism, this exhibition offers visitors an opportunity to trace the evolution of modern painting and discover the artistic connections that span generations.