History remembers the great masters of 19th century painting like Cézanne, Delacroix, Renoir, Monet and Van Gogh but what about the hudreds of young artists who flocked to Paris between the 1850s and the 1950s? The artists who came to the French capital to study in the art schools and Academies were also witness to life in Paris and the creative energy of that time. Most of these painters like Bartoli, Dequene, Genis, Gorus, Canet, Hillairet, and Kislakoff did not go on to become renowned artists in their lifetime perhaps because of the demand of the market, or perhaps because of fashion. However the young artists that followed in the footsteps of the great masters, diligently continuing to paint in the Impressionist or Post-Impressionist style are now known as Les Petits Maîtres - or the Small Masters.

Within this collection of Minor Impressionist works, the artists’ nationality, age, and choice of subject matter vary greatly; what ties these works together is their Impressionist style and common influences. Since their rediscovery in the 1960s, works by the Petits Maîtres have achieved growing interest from museums, galleries and collectors alike.