Exhibition guide

After the exhibition “Treasures in Black and White: Dürer, Rembrandt, Goya, Toulouse-Lautrec” in 2023-2024, the Petit Palais is revisiting a new strong theme in its collections, that of artist portraits and self-portraits.

Visit details

  • Dates: From Wednesday March 18, 2026 to Sunday July 19, 2026: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
  • Venue: Petit Palais - Musée des beaux-arts de la Ville de Paris, 2 avenue Winston-Churchill, Paris
  • Price: De 0 à 14 euros.
  • Audience: Tout public.
  • Source: Event page

About the exhibition

By presenting a wide selection of works from the 19th century combining paintings, sculptures, graphic arts, photographs and decorative arts, the museum takes a fresh look at some of its best-known masterpieces and offers the public the opportunity to rediscover works rarely presented. The exhibition questions the function of the artist portrait, an exercise in admiration and friendship, a reflection of an artistic lineage or, on the contrary, ironic criticism.

“Studio portraits”, fascinating scenes of cleverly arranged interiors, present the crucible of creation and embody the place of new sociabilities. The exhibition is also an opportunity to read the history of the museum's collections, built up thanks to the fervent support of artists and their families who generously offered numerous effigies of their loved ones.

As a counterpoint, the Petit Palais presents around ten women artists working today in Paris, who question the genre of portraiture, between tradition and modernity. In dialogue with the collections, their works form an echo or stand out for their singularity. From different generations, these women have contributed to modifying the imagination linked to artist portraits by drawing on the otherness of their experiences. Both self-quest and aesthetic manifesto, their portraits leave room for a new affirmation from the artist: “I am my work”. Painting, sculpture, photography, the artist portrait sheds light on contemporary issues around gender identity and feminist struggles.