The Best Paris Museum Exhibitions of 2017!

We’ve already outlined the best start-of-the-year exhibitions to see in Paris, but now we want to share what’s showing during the rest of the year!

These exhibitions, organized by the major museums of Paris, are sure to be inspiring and fascinating. From reinterpretations of classic favorites to never-before-seen collections, everything from the following list is perfect for a cultural day out in the City of Light!

Le Musée du Louvre

Masterpieces from the Leiden Collection: The Age of Rembrandt: 22 February – 22 May 2017

Rembrandt, The Abduction of Europa (1632). Public Domain. Source.

For the first time, this selection of 17th century Dutch masterpieces will hang side by side at a major international museum. And it’s right here in Paris! The Louvre will display at least ten works by Rembrandt, along with pieces by some of the greatest painters of the Golden Age.

Musée Cognacq-Jay

Sérénissime! Venise en fête, de Tiepolo à Guardi: 25 February – 25 June 2017

Pietro Longhi, Detail of The Dancing Lesson (1741). Public Domain. Source.

Fascinated by the seductive glamour and celebration of 18th century Venice? Look no further than this brand new exhibition. Artists Giovanni Battista Tiepolo and Francesco Guardi immortalized this chaotic, fascinating time of political upheaval and Venetian carnivals with the magic of canvas and paint. And until June 2017, you can escape to Venice through this splendid display!

Musée des Arts Décoratifs

Travaux de Dames: 8 March 2017 – 17 September 2018

The Marsan Pavillon of the Louvre, which houses the Musée des Arts Décoratifs.

In honor of women’s rights activists around the world, Travaux de Dames explores the confinement of female artists to “handicrafts” such as embroidery and ceramics until the early 20th century, and highlights the turning point at which the world began to consider women true artists in their own right.

Le Grand Palais

Jardins: 15 March – 24 July 2017

The gardens of Versailles © Hannah Wilson.

Jardins seeks to embody the Foucault quote; “The garden is the smallest part of the world and the whole world at the same time.” With paintings by geniuses such as Klimt as well as works from other disciplines (sculpture, drawing, films), the exhibition aims to defend the garden as art, and its creators as artists.

Musée d’Orsay

Portraits by Cézanne: 13 June – 24 September 2017

Paul Cézanne, Detail of Paul Alexis Reading to Émile Zola (1869). Public Domain. Source.

Cézanne is most known for his multifaceted still lives of oranges and landscapes of the Mont Sainte-Victoire, but he created a great deal of portraits as well. Staying true to his painting philosophy, he often created multiple versions of the same portrait, trying to discover all the forms of the person being represented. Discover the human side of Cézanne in this exhibition, taking place this summer.

Le Musée des Arts Décoratifs

Christian Dior: 5 July 2017 – 7 January 2018

Some of Dior’s creations that will be featured in the exhibition (photo from a past fashion exhibition at the same museum). Photo by Hannah Wilson.

For any lover of fashion, and particularly Parisian fashion, this exhibition cannot be missed. Marking Dior’s 70th anniversary, the Decorative Arts Museum of Paris is paying homage to this legendary fashion house. See Dior’s “New Look” with your own eyes alongside about 400 other garments.

Le Petit Palais

The Art of Pastel From Degas to Redon: 15 September 2017 – 8 April 2018

Berthe Morisot, Woman and Child in a Garden (1883). Public Domain. Source.

It’s often worth visiting Le Petit Palais to simply marvel at the extraordinary architecture and craftsmanship encapsulated in the lofty walls. But this year, it’s doubly worth visiting for its exhibition featuring 150 pastel paintings. It aims to honor the pioneering, seductive manner in which painters of the Impressionist and Symbolist eras evoked emotions through pastels in the second half of the 19th century. From Renoir to Degas, Ménard and Redon, the stunning masterpieces in the equally breathtaking Petit Palais are not to miss.

Le Grand Palais

Gauguin the Alchemist: 11 October 2017 – 22 January 2018

Paul Gauguin, Tahitian Women on the Beach (1891). Public Domain. Source.

Gauguin is one of the more unique Post-Impressionist painters because he left Europe to seek a new life in Tahiti. Despite this huge life change, he explored the same themes in his paintings, even when his subject changed from rural Christian life in Bretagne to the harsh, exotic life of a colonialist.