Throwback Thursday

The Grand Palais sparkles through winter trees.

*** 

Exhibition: 

Henri Matisse

1941 - 1954

 

Ends July 26, 2026 

 

 

Sun King Sunday

 

Today is the last chance to see the magnificent Savonnerie carpets in a unique exhibition,

"The Rediscovered Treasure of the Sun King"

*** 

 The Savonnerie carpets, a gargantuan undertaking commissioned by Louis XIV in the late 1660s for the floor of the Grande Galerie (a.k.a. the Grand Gallery) in the Louvre Palace, was an ambitious project that involved creating 92 hand-knotted wool carpets, each approximately 9 meters (about 30 feet) wide. It was designed to cover the entire length of the gallery, 440 meters long, making it one of the largest such undertakings in history. Though the project took about twenty years (roughly 1668-1688) to complete, the carpets were never installed in the Louvre as intended. Louis had shifted his focus and court to Versailles in 1682, abandoning major renovations at the Louvre, so the pieces were put in storage, later dispersed as diplomatic gifts, sold during the French Revolution, or repurposed elsewhere. Only about 41 survived, with 33 remaining fully intact today. 

This special exhibition titled "The Rediscovered Treasure of the Sun King" ("Le Trésor retrouvé du Roi-Soleil"), brings together about 30 of these historic carpets on public display for the first time in over 350 years making it a limited, perhaps once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see them reunited. - BPJ

Grand Palais 
3 avenue du Général Eisenhower 75008 

 Ends Sunday February 8, 2026

Below: from above 

 

Fountain Friday

Legendary artist couple Niki de Saint Phalle and Jean Tinguely have been reunited in an exhibition with “museum anarchist” Pontus Hulten.

Above: sculptures by Niki de Saint Phalle and Jean Tinguely at the Stravinsky Fountain, Pompidou Center 

Le Grand Palais Champs-Elysées

 Ends January 4, 2026

 

Treeful Tuesday

Le Grand Palais seen through branches and a gnarly trunk.

 

Fashion fiends

 

Currently at Le Grand Palais Champs-Élysées:

 

DOLCE&GABBANA

"Du Coeur à La Main" / "From the Heart to the Hand"

 

 Ends April 2, 2025

 

*** 

 

When Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana founded their brand in 1985, it quickly captivated the industry with its unapologetic celebration of sensuality and craftsmanship. Dolce & Gabbana’s early collections, inspired by Sicilian culture—black lace, corsets, religious iconography—stood out in a minimalist-dominated era, offering a theatrical alternative that felt both nostalgic and rebellious. The pair made glamour aspirational and attainable and today, their empire thrives on that same audacity, evolving with trends yet staying true to their Mediterranean roots. The sheer opulence on display at Le Grand Palais, room after room of staggering designs, is leaving viewers breathless. - BPJ

 

  

 

 

Art is always a good idea

 

Currently at Le Grand Palais Champs-Élysées:

Japanese visual artist Chiharu Shiota

"The Soul Trembles"

Ends March 19, 2025

 

Miró Miró on the wall

Since the September rentrée Paris has been awash in heavy-hitter artists - Picasso, Basquiat, Schiele, Giacometti, Mucha, Klimt, Hundertwasser, Caravaggio, more - and now, Catalan artist Joan Miró, who was both sculptor and painter. 

An impressive representation of his work from the Joan Miró Foundation in Barcelona and private collections will be in Paris for three more weeks.

"Miró Rétrospective"
Ends February 4, 2019

Grand Palais

Grand space

I'm often asked what kinds of exhibitions are shown in the Grand Palais' massive space.
This installation - Anish Kapoor's "Monumenta" - is an example, the largest I've seen there yet.


For Ava

Red carpet

Leaving the Grand Palais after a red carpet event. Across the street, the Oscar Wilde exhibit at Le Petit Palais.

Oscar Wilde: Insolence Incarnate 

 

Ends January 15, 2017

Paris Photo 2016

This year's photography exhibitors exceed expectations.

PARIS PHOTO 2016 

Grand Palais
3 avenue du Général Eisenhower 75008

Ends Sunday November 13