© Cleveland Museum of Art © Fondation Louis Vuitton
Van Gogh, Gauguin and Matisse are, of course, familiar names. But have you heard of Gustave Fayet? A collector, painter, ceramicist, interior designer and much more, this key figure in modern art and decorative arts takes center stage in the spectacular exhibition Gustave Fayet, Collector – Creator at the Fondation Louis Vuitton, running from October 9, 2026, to March 8, 2027. Spanning three floors, the exhibition immerses visitors in a pivotal period in art history through Fayet’s extraordinary collection, offering a sweeping overview of modern art from the late 19th century to the early 20th century. A must-see!
An Endless Collection
With every new gallery, you find yourself wondering when it will ever end! Far from feeling overwhelmed, you’re simply astonished by the sheer scale and diversity of this collection. Gustave Fayet, who died in 1925, assembled more than 750 works of modern art during his lifetime. Across three floors, the Fondation presents more than 250 of them, including 10 paintings by Vincent van Gogh, 78 works by Paul Gauguin and 86 by Odilon Redon, as well as paintings and pastels by Degas, Cézanne, Toulouse-Lautrec, Renoir, Berthe Morisot, Signac, Bonnard, Vuillard and Matisse. Remarkably, four of the Van Gogh paintings on display have not been seen in France for nearly a century, including the moving Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear and Pipe. There are also three masterpieces by Gauguin, including The Yellow Christ, and the secret decorative scheme painted by Redon for Fontfroide Abbey. A true privilege.
© GrandPalaisRmn (Musée d’Orsay) / Hervé Lewandoski © Fondation Louis Vuitton / Nicolas Matheus © Artelan / Alamy
A Man of Many Talents
Gustave Fayet was not only a major patron of modern art but also a talented artist in his own right. On the top floor, the exhibition reveals 374 of his creations, most of which have never been shown to the public and have been restored especially for the occasion. Painter, watercolorist, ceramicist, interior designer, creator of rugs, textiles and wallpaper, book illustrator: his prolific output captivated his contemporaries, including Paul Poiret, Jacques Doucet and Jeanne Lanvin. From Art Nouveau to Art Deco, Fayet played a full part in shaping a new art of living, bringing fine art and decorative arts together. One of our favorites is his series of “blotting-paper paintings”: 87 watercolors on blotting paper, in which the artist lets stains give rise to enchanting, almost abstract flowers. “A beautiful stain can be the starting point for a beautiful drawing,” he said. The vast corridor devoted to these works makes you want to wander for hours, as though strolling through a fantastical botanical garden. These motifs would become his signature, later appearing on wallpaper, textiles and rugs.
Enhanced by Robert Carsen’s scenography, the exhibition evokes Fayet’s homes, collections and artistic worlds with remarkable sensitivity. You leave fascinated by a man who accomplished so much, including for France’s cultural heritage: in 1908, he saved and restored Fontfroide Abbey. An unprecedented exhibition in terms of its scale, the monumental effort involved in bringing these works together and the richness of what it reveals. Unmissable!
Gustave Fayet, Collector – Creator. Fondation Louis Vuitton. 8 avenue du Mahatma Gandhi, Bois de Boulogne, Paris 16th. From October 9, 2026, to March 8, 2027. Full-price admission: €18; reduced tickets: €10 and €5. Open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.*
© Eduardo Ortega © Fondation Louis Vuitton / Nicolas Matheus © ADAGP
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