3 Art Exhibitions to Enjoy this Winter at the Petit Palais

This winter, the Petit Palais in Paris is inviting visitors to discover three captivating exhibitions that bridge past and present…

Nestled between the Seine and the Champs-Élysées, the Petit Palais is one of Paris’ great architectural and artistic treasures. Built for the 1900 World Fair, this elegant Beaux-Arts masterpiece now houses the Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris, where visitors can wander among masterpieces by Courbet, Monet, Cézanne, and Rembrandt. With its grand domed rotunda, marble colonnades, and serene inner garden, the Petit Palais offers a rare moment of quiet in the bustling City of Light.

Alongside its fascinating permanent collection that spans centuries of art history, the museum hosts a rich calendar of temporary exhibitions and this winter, the programme delivers captivating tributes.

JEAN-BAPTISTE GREUZE

Childhood Illuminated Until January 25

This exhibition pays tribute to Jean-Baptiste Greuze (1725-1805), a portrait artist who was admired and sought-after by his contemporaries but quickly forgotten by history, despite his talent.

Born 300 years ago in Tournus (Saône-et-Loire), Greuze was famous for his portraits and genre scenes that captured French society in the 18th century.
This exceptional show is the first full retrospective dedicated to the painter.

Some 100 works are on display – loaned by some of the most important collections in France and from around the world all focusing on the themes surrounding childhood.

For more information, visit www.petitpalais.paris.fr/en/expositions/jean-baptiste-greuze

РЕККА НALONEN

An Ode to Finland Until February 22

As a further exploration of Finnish artists, this exhibition is dedicated to the ‘Painter of Snow’, Pekka Halonen (1865-1933). Known for his evocative and seasonal landscapes that show a deep appreciation for nature, he trained in Paris under the guidance of Paul Gauguin before creating his lakeside studio in southern Finland. This first major tribute to the Finnish painter ever to happen in France will highlight his contribution to modernism and plunge visitors into the bright, snowy scenery of Finland.

For more information, visit www.petitpalais.paris.fr/en/expositions/pekka-halonen

BILAL HAMDAD

Paname Until February 8

A graduate of the Beaux-Arts de Sidi Bel Abbès in Algeria and the Beaux-Arts de Paris, Bilal Hamdad produces large-scale paintings depicting urban solitude, anonymous figures standing alone among bustling city landscapes.

This, his first solo exhibition, presents 20 works, including two new pieces. It resonates with the museum’s permanent collection, drawing similarities and paradoxes with works by Rubens, Manet and Courbet from whom Hamdad takes great inspiration.

For more information, visit www.petitpalais.paris.fr/en/expositions/bilal-hamdad

From France Today Magazine

Lead photo credit : Petit Palais Photo: Wikimedia Commons