They're Back! New Paris Museum Exhibitions For The 2021-22 Season

A lot has happened in the Paris museum scene since the outbreak of Covid-19 in early 2020 and the resulting lockdowns and closures and openings and closures and openings. Now that Paris museums are again welcoming visitors, you might notice that many of the postponed exhibitions have been rescheduled for this year and next.

So, let's take a look at the refreshed calendar of the top Paris museum exhibitions for 2021 and into 2022. After more than a year of start and stop, there's real comfort to be found in the exhibition lineup at museums like the Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, Centre Pompidou, Quai Branly, Petit Palais, and the newly-renovated Musée Carnavalet.

Museum Exhibitions at the Louvre 2021-22

When the most popular museum in the world announces its new exhibitions art lovers sit up and pay attention. Even with lockdown and other difficulties, curators have been busy planning interesting new exhibitions.

The Advent of the Artist

In the new season of this on-going museum event, the Louvre's Petite Galerie continues its exploration of the transition from the typically anonymous craftsman of the classical period to the artist of the Renaissance, The Advent of the Artist. In 2021, Renaissance artists Leonardo da Vinci, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Albrecht Dürer will be featured.

• Louvre, Petite Galerie
• Ends July 5, 2021
• Information…

Paris to Athens – Birth of Modern Greece

To celebrate the bicentenary of the Greek Revolution, the Louvre presents an exciting exhibition that traces the artistic link between Greek and European culture; specifically focussing on Paris and Athens. The show concludes with works by the Greek group TECHNE, which exhibited in Paris in 1919.

• Louvre, Hall Napoleon
• Ends July 25, 2022

Pharaoh of the Two Lands

Discover the ancient history of Sudan and the Nile Delta. This exhibition also commemorates the bicentenary anniversary of the godfather of Egyptology, Jean-Francois Champollion. A professeur at only nineteen years old, Champollion later translated hieroglyphics while working at the Louvre.

• Louvre, Hall Napoleon
• Ends July 25, 2022

Precious Objects from Elsewhere

Since ancient times, carnelian, lapis lazuli, ebony, and other precious materials have circulated along trade routes. This exhibition highlights these precious materials as well as exotic animals who have traveled between the continents since the Middle Ages.

• Louvre, Petite Galerie
• September 22, 2021 to July 4, 2022

The History of Still Life at the Louvre

Believe it or not, the last time a still life exhibition was shown at the Louvre was back in 1952! This new show will pay homage to Charles Sterling's love of still life. Sterling was an art historian, who was the curator of paintings at the Louvre for 32 years, from 1929 to 1961.

• Louvre, Hall Napoleon
• Octobre 12, 2022 to January 23, 2023

Museum Exhibitions at Musée d'Orsay 2021-22

Once a Belle Epoque train station, in 1986 Musée d'Orsay was transformed into the world's greatest museum dedicated to Impressionism and 19th century art. A few years ago the museum was given a facelift with a nifty reshuffling of the paintings and a new paint job (white walls are so 20th century) to better highlight the artwork.

The Origins of the World – The Invention of Nature in the 19th Century

For the first time the d'Orsay, in partnership with the Musée National d'Histoire Naturelle is devoting an exhibition to the sciences and the arts.

• Musée d'Orsay
• Ends July 18, 2021
• Information…

Artificialis – Laurent Grasso

In 2017, Laurent Grasso was invited by the Musée d'Orsay to produce a large-scale work in collaboration with The Origins of the World exhibition.

• Musée d'Orsay
• Ends July 18, 2021
• Information…

Swiss Modernities, 1890 to 1914

At the end of the 19th century the artistic scene in Switzerland was vibrant. A generation of painters — Giovanni and Augusto Giacometti, Felix Vallotton, Ernest Bieler and Max Buri — radically transformed the art of their time. This exhibition gives an insight into artworks that have never been shown in France, by bringing together seventy masterpieces of the period, from public and private collections.

• Musée d'Orsay
• Ends July 25, 2021
• Information…

Girault de Prangey, Photographer

Girault de Prangey (1804-1892) was a gifted painter, illustrator, and archaeologist. This exhibition features his photographs and illustrated books.

• Musée d'Orsay
• Ends July 11, 2021
• Information…

Cinema! French Entertainment 1833 to 1907

Discover 300 films and related paraphernalia including works by some well-known artists like Pierre Bonnard and the Lumière brothers, the inventors of cinema.

• Musée d'Orsay
• September 28, 2021 to January 16, 2022
• Information…

Signac, the Collector

Paul Signac (1863-1935), who with Georges Seurat invented the painting style called pointillism, was also a keen art collector. See his fabulous collection of works by Bonnard, Matisse, Fauves.

• Musée d'Orsay
• October 12 to February 13, 2022
• Information…

Museum Exhibitions at Centre Pompidou 2021-22

It's been well over forty decades since the opening of the Pompidou and, while not as magnificent as the 40th anniversary celebrations a couple of years ago, there are going to be fascinating exhibits for modern art fans in 2021 and 2022… until the museum closes for yet another renovation for three to seven years!

Petits Papiers du 20e Siècle

Paul Destribats (1926-2017) was an avant-garde collector and scholar. This exhibition showcases 12,000 of the "little papers" — leaflets, posters, and documents from his collection — that have been donated to the Kandinsky Library.

• Pompidou Centre
• Ends January 31, 2022
• Information…

Exhibitions at Musée du Quai Branly 2021-22

Dedicated to the study of mankind and the world, Musée du Quai Branly showcases world cultures — African, Asian, Oceania, and the Americas. The museum is relatively new to the landscape of Paris museums, opening in 2006. It's very close to the Eiffel Tower.

Architect Jean Nouvel gets around. After he designed the controversial Institute du Monde Arabe in Paris, he went onto to create Musée du Quai Branly. The museum is a jumble of forms that also features tranquil gardens with a natural aesthetic — no formal French gardens, no lawns, no lavish entrance staircase. Instead, the garden is a series of small landscapes with native French plants.

The Olmecs and the Cultures of the Gulf of Mexico

Learn about the Olmec civilization and the little-known world of pre-Columbian cultures of the Gulf of Mexico. Take a fascinating journey into its three millennia of history, and artistic traditions. The exhibition sheds light on the Olmec civilization with over two hundred rare items, shown for the first time outside Mexico.

• Quai Branly
• Ends October 3, 2021
• Information…

Maro Ura – A Polynesian Treasure

The exhibition traces the history and cultural importance of the feather belt, one of the most prestigious objects of the great chiefdoms of the Society Islands. Related to worship of the god 'Oro, these sacred belts were used during commemorative ceremonies.

• Quai Branly
• October 19, 2021 to January 9, 2022
• Information…

Petit Palais Exhibitions 2021-22

If you're in the mood for a small museum, make your way to the impossibly adorable Petit Palais, found directly across the street from big brother, the Grand Palais on Avenue Winston Churchill in the 8th Arrondissement (easy walking distance from Place de la Concorde). Built for the 1900 Universal Expo, the Petit Palais is now the home to the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Paris, the city's fine arts museum. There's a pretty interior courtyard and a cafe to relax in before or after viewing the museum. We always stop in when we're in the area, especially since it's free!

Augustin Rouart – Painting as Legacy

This exhibition showcases a dozen works by Henri Rouart, Henry Lerolle, Maurice Denis and Augustin Rouart. Other works from the Rouart collection on display are pastels and paintings by Berthe Morisot, Edgar Degas, and Auguste Renoir.

• Petit Palais
• Ends October 10, 2021
• Information…

The Narcissus Theorem – Jean-Michel Othoniel

Contemporary French artist Jean-Michel Othoniel is taking over Petit Palais spaces and garden with his art installation. It's his biggest solo show since his retrospective at the Pompidou.

• Petit Palais
• September 28, 2021 to January 2, 2022
• Information…

Musée Picasso Exhibitions in 2021-22

The Musée Picasso is a jewel set in the Marais, set in the historic and grand Hotel Salé. There are over 5,000 works that cover Picasso's paintings, sculptures, engravings, drawings, studies, drafts, notebooks, etchings and letters. If you are a Picasso fan, this is a must-see destination in Paris.

Picasso – Rodin

This much-anticipated exhibition exhibition, featuring two masters and mounted in two Paris museums, continues in September. Running concurrently at the Musée Picasso in the Marais and the Musée Rodin in the 7th Arrondissement, Picasso – Rodin graphically demonstrates how these two artists, together and individually, heralded a turning point in modern art.

• Musée Picasso & Musée Rodin
• Ends January 2, 2022
• Information…

Musée de l'Orangerie 2021-22

Tucked into the Jardin des Tuileries right at the Place de la Concorde, the 1852 stone structure facing the Seine was once the greenhouse that helped to nurture orange trees for the garden. (There's also an orangerie in the Jardin du Luxembourg, and it's still used to store plants during the winter.) Now, it's home to Monet's stellar waterlily murals. But, the Orangerie Museum has more artistic surprises in store, including this year's exhibitions. Upcoming exhibits at l'Orangerie…

Magritte in Full Sunlight – The Renoir Period, 1940-1947

This exhibition brings together paintings and drawings from the end of the 1930s, when Magritte predicted the imminent outbreak of war. Along with his works are some of Renoir's masterpieces plus contemporary paintings by Jeff Koons.

• Musée de l'Orangerie
• Ends July 19, 2021
• Information…

Soutine/De Kooning

In this exhibition you can see works by Russian painter Chaïm Soutine (1893-1943), alongside those of Willem de Kooning (1904-1997), the American Abstract Expressionist. The exhibition explores the impact of Soutine's painting on the American painter. At the end of 2021.

• Musée de l'Orangerie
• Ends January 10, 2022
• Information…

Musée Marmottan-Monet

If you love Claude Monet and the Impressionists you won't want to miss the Musée Marmottan-Monet in the 16th Arrondissement. (Its name is a clue!) Set at the foot of charming Parc Ranlegh in the posh neighborhood of Passy, this museum contains the largest collection of Monet paintings in the world. Claude's son Michel left his father's art to the state of France at the time of his death in 1966, including the iconic Impression: Sunrise, the painting that gave the movement its name.

Colombet/Monet – Painting Like the River

This dual-artist show follows the life and work of contemporary French artist Vicky Colombet who, like Monet, sees something new in landscapes, a surpassing of places. Displaying works by these two painters who each saw something different in the scenes they painted is truly a special event. Staging the event at the world's foremost Monet museum is perfect.

• Musée Marmottan-Monet
• Ends October 3, 202
• Information…

The Blue Hour

Discover the works of Danish painter Peder Severin Krøyer (1851-1909). The exhibition is the result of a partnership between the Musée Marmottan-Monet and the Skagen Museum, under the High Patronage of Queen Margrethe II.

• Musée Marmottan-Monet
• Ends September 26, 2021
• Information…

Musée Carnavalet 2021-22

After a renovation five years in the making, with a €58 million total budget, Musée Carnavalet reopened just as the 2021 lockdown eased in Paris. The once-rambling museum of the history of the city of Paris has been modernized under the guiding hand of François Châtillon, chief architect for France's historical monuments.

The whole place has been updated with ramps and lifts and a couple of swooping spiral staircases. Some of the paintings, sculptures, and posters have been lowered so kids can see them as well. New digital displays have also been created. As a City of Paris museum, entrance to the permanent collection is free with a small admission charged for certain temporary exhibitions.

Henri Cartier-Bresson – Revoir Paris

For its first exhibition after the long closure and renovation, Musée Carnavalet has partnered with the Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation to highlight the works of one of the greatest French photographers of the 20th century.

• Musée Carnavalet
• Ends October 31, 2021
• Information…

Musée de la Vie Romantique

Once you've spent time at the big museums of Paris, you may want to get off the tourist track to take in one of the most relaxing, charming, and romantic museums in Paris.

Storms & Shipwrecks – From Vernet to Courbet

Collected together for this tempestuous exhibition are sixty paintings, drawings, prints, and manuscripts by more than thirty artists of the 18th and 19th centuries that illustrate maritime storms — from the unleashing of the elements to the dramatic consequences of shipwrecks.

• Musée de la Vie Romantique
• Ends September 12, 2021
• Information…

Maison de Victor Hugo

In a 17th-century townhouse on classic Place des Vosges is the Paris home of novelist Victor Hugo, now a museum of his life and work. La Maison has recently been renovated and now sports added space, restored treasures, and new acquisitions. The upgrades also include a tea room and a small garden to relax in. Definitely a treasure among the small museums of Paris.

Victor Hugo – Dessins/Drawings

Who knew the Hugo, in addition to being a writer of fame, could also draw? This exhibition presents a unique collection of drawings by the creator of Quasimodo, the maker of Les Misérables, the man himself, Victor Hugo.

• Maison de Victor Hugo
• Ends November 21, 2021
• Information…

Jeu de Paume 2021-22

It's another one of our favorite spots in Paris. Formerly a tennis court for royalty during the reign of Napoleon III, set right on the edge of Jardin des Tuileries, it's now a museum dedicated to photography and modern media art. Like most things in Paris, it has a long history. In between its time from tennis court to photography museum, Jeu de Paume is where the Nazis stored the art they plundered from France. After the war and until the Musée d'Orsay opened in 1986 it was where the overstock of important Impressionist paintings was kept. In 1991, after a serious renovation, the Jeu de Paume opened as France's first national gallery of contemporary photography.

The Jeu de Paume is closed for renovations, probably until some time in 2022. (You can always add at least a year to a Paris museum's projected re-opening date following a renovation — and 50% to the cost!)

Atelier des Lumières

Opened in 2018, Atelier des Lumières is the first all-digital art museum in Paris. The modern-age cultural center has been created inside a former iron foundry dating back to the early 19th century. Past shows have featured painters like Klimt, van Gogh, Renoir, and Chagall.

Dalí – The Endless Enigma

Be immersed in the surrealistic and metaphysical landscapes of the world of Salvador Dalí. Paintings scattered around around the world are featured in this dazzling digital exhibition, including works from the Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation at Figueres, the Dalí Museum in Florida, the Reina Sofía Museum in Madrid, and MoMA in New York.

• Atelier des Lumieres
• 38 Rue Saint Maur, 11e
• Ends January 2, 2022
• Information…