Salon of 1853

The Salon of 1853 was an art exhibition held in Paris. An edition of the regular Salon it was organised by the Académie des Beaux-Arts and opened on 15 May 1853. It took place at the Hôtel des Menus-Plaisirs in Paris. Featuring submissions by leading painters, sculptors and architects, it was the first to take place following the formal establishment of the Second French Empire under Napoleon III. His new wife Eugénie [de Montijo|Empress Eugénie] visited the Salon and acquired several works. A portrait of the Empress by Édouard Dubufe was featured in the exhibition.
Notable paintings on display included The [Horse Fair] by Rosa Bonheur. Although she had been exhibiting her animal paintings since the Salon of 1841 with measured success, this painting was an outstanding hit and became her best-known work touring across Europe. Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot submitted a religious painting St Sebastian Succoured by Holy Women The German painter Franz Xaver Winterhalter, best known for his glamorous portraits of royalty, displayed a history painting Florinda which was a replica of one produced for Britain's Queen Victoria.
It was followed by the Salon of 1855 held at the Palace of Industry as part of the Universal Exposition.