Must-See Shows in Paris: Top 5 Cultural Exhibitions for La Rentrée

Chirac & Non-European Cultures

The Musée du Quai Branly-Jacques Chirac was named in honour of the man who founded it. The exhibition Jacques Chirac or Cross-Cultural Dialogue examines his links with non- European cultures. Until October 9.

Spectacular Second Empire

Revered on its way up, reviled on its way down, the Second Empire was mocked as the ‘imperial party’. The Musée d’Orsay shows how conspicuous ostentation played in the prolific artistic creation of the period. September 27, 2016 to January 1, 2017.

Henri Fantin-Latour

The Musée du Luxembourg presents a retrospective of Latour’s extraordinary work: his detailed still-lifes and landscapes, and the paintings that were the ‘fruit of his imagination’. September 14, 2016 to February 12, 2017

Private Rembrandt

The master of 17th-century Dutch art at the Jacquemart-André. Through 50 paintings and sketches the exhibition Rembrandt intime retraces his career. September 16, 2016 to January 23, 2017.

Versailles and American Independence

A review of Franco-American relations towards the end of the Ancien Régime, when King Louis XVI wanted to show that he was open to new ideas. Until October 12. www.chateauversailles.fr

From France Today magazine