Have you ever imagined strolling through the streets of Paris and admiring the banks of the Seine up close? Or meeting great figures of Impressionism like Monet, Renoir, and Degas? Without having to buy a ticket to Europe or step into a Doctor Who-style time machine, you can travel back in time without leaving São Paulo with the exhibition “An Evening with the Impressionists.”
For the first time in Latin America, straight from the Musée d’Orsay (Paris) and with over a thousand highly positive reviews, the exhibition continues to take São Paulo’s cultural scene by storm. Located at Shopping Cidade São Paulo, right on Avenida Paulista, “An Evening with the Impressionists” recreates the atmosphere of the first Impressionist exhibition in France, held in 1874. Using cutting-edge technology, this experience combines art, virtual reality, and historical narrative in a fully immersive way .
An Evening with the Impressionists. Paris 1874
13 August 2026 12:00 + more dates
Step through the frames with the magic of Virtual Reality
For approximately 45 minutes, the more than 1,300 square meters of the CNP Virtual Reality Cultural Space are transformed into a true portal to a fully 3D universe . Simply put on the virtual reality goggles and let Rose, a virtual guide, lead you on this journey to photographer Nadar’s legendary studio , where the first Impressionist exhibition took place in 1874.
There, you can witness conversations between historic artists such as Monet and Cézanne. This immersive journey showcases various settings that were significant to the Impressionist movement, such as the city of Le Havre, where Monet painted “Impression, Sunrise.” Additionally, visitors can experience the cozy ambiance of traditional French cafés or the vibrant atmosphere of Normandy’s beaches—an experience as magical as the loose, swift brushstrokes of the Impressionist masters.
Why was Impressionism so important?
If you’re not an art history expert, don’t worry. “An Evening with the Impressionists” was designed to welcome all kinds of visitors. But before you step into this world of brushstrokes, we’d like to explain why Impressionism was so revolutionary.
Before this movement, many artists would shut themselves away in their studios, applying techniques and spending hours working on meticulous details. In contrast, Impressionism broke with conventional standards, focusing on painting everyday life as seen through direct observation of nature outdoors.
The focus is especially on light and color to capture that fleeting moment—hence the loose, visible brushstrokes, the slightly blurred contours, and the use of vibrant colors.
Useful Information
📍 Where: Shopping Cidade São Paulo, Avenida Paulista, 1230 – Bela Vista
⏰ Hours: Thursdays, 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Fridays, 12 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sundays, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; for more information, visit the officialwebsite
🎟️ Tickets: on sale via the Fever platform
