Visages d’artistes — De Gustave Courbet à Annette Messager — Petit Palais, Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris — Exhibition — Slash Paris

In 9 days: March 18 → July 19, 2026

The Petit Palais turns its focus to a new, central theme from its collections: the artist’s portrait and self-portrait. Through a wide-ranging selection of 19th-century works—including paintings, sculptures, graphic arts, photographs, and decorative arts—the museum invites visitors to rediscover its most celebrated masterpieces while also showcasing rarely seen pieces.

Edouard Vuillard, Portrait de Pierre Bonnard, 1930-1935 Peinture à la colle sur toile — 114,5 × 146,5 cm Paris Musée d’Art moderne de Paris. CCO Paris Musées / Musée d’Art moderne de Paris

The exhibition examines the very purpose of the artist’s portrait: a mark of admiration, a token of friendship, an assertion of artistic lineage, or even an ironic critique. The “studio portraits,” fascinating staged scenes of carefully arranged interiors, reveal the crucible of creation and become the setting for new forms of sociability. The show also offers a deep dive into the history of the museum’s collections, enriched by the generosity of artists and their families, who donated numerous likenesses of their loved ones.

Nina Childress, Autoportrait clown / fleur, 2020 — Huile sur toile — 61 x 50 cm Collection Musée d’Art Moderne, Paris Photo Julien Vidal Courtesy the Artist and Art : Concept, Paris © Nina Childress, ADAGP, Paris 2026

In conversation with these historical collections, the Petit Palais features the work of ten women artists active in Paris today. Their paintings, sculptures, and photographs engage with the museum’s heritage while standing out through their unique voices. Drawing on diverse experiences and generations, these artists reshape the imagination of portraiture, blending self-exploration and aesthetic manifestos. Their creations, declaring “I am my work,” illuminate contemporary issues of gender identity and feminist struggles.