The most anticipated exhibitions of spring!

© Lee Miller Archives England / Musée du Louvre / Centre Pompidou

Act two for the major exhibitions of 2026! And it must be said that this season, our favorite museums are once again competing with exhibitions that are each more highly anticipated than the last. Tough, tough to choose between the works of greats like Henri Matisse, Le Douanier Rousseau, or even Rodin and Michelangelo, a retrospective on the photography of Lee Miller or on the life of Segantini, a modern show at the Fondation Louis Vuitton… Here is a selection of the events to absolutely mark in your calendars.

Conceived as a dialogue with the work of Claude Monet, the exhibition Je veux voir mes montagnes pays tribute to the career of the Italian painter Giovanni Segantini, often nicknamed “The Gauguin of the Alps.” You likely know his works Midi dans les Alpes or Ave Maria à la traversée, which are as different as they are mesmerizing, rooted in the Divisionist movement. From raw self-portraits to vibrant maternal figures, we journey through more than 60 masterpieces in which color runs wild. The exhibition is designed as an ascent into the author's work, reaching the summit of the Alps and his career. An artist to the very end, it was on his deathbed that he uttered “Voglio vedere le mie montagne” – “I want to see my mountains.”

Je veux voir mes montagnes, from April 29 to August 16 at the Musée Marmottan Monet, 2 rue Louis Boilly, Paris 16e. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

© Ohara Museum of Art /  Stephan Schenk

Paper cut-outs, abstract shapes, and vibrant colors: Henri Matisse takes up residence at the Grand Palais with the participation of the Centre Pompidou. The exhibition focuses on the end of his life, during which he reinvented himself by exploring a new way of creating compatible with his new health challenges: painting sheets of gouache and cutting them into abstract shapes. The process of découpage, which one might consider childlike, actually stems from a sharp mastery of the scissors! You can sit before a projection of the artist at work, bringing his most famous works to life in seconds. It’s impossible to miss the monumental Tristesse du roi and its (nearly) 3-meter height, nor the fabulous Nus bleus series from 1952. Henri Matisse, even 70 years later, continues to fascinate adults and children alike.

Matisse, 1941–1954 from March 24 to July 26 at the Grand Palais, 13 Avenue du Général Eisenhower, Paris 8e. Open Tuesday to Sunday, from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., with a late-night opening on Friday until 10:30 p.m. Exceptional closure on May 1 and July 7. 

© The Hammer Museum / Grand Palais / Courtesy Galerie de l'Institut

Mannequin, model, muse: Lee Miller graced the covers of the biggest magazines for a long time before moving behind the lens. The photographer is invited to the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris, which is organizing her largest retrospective in 20 years. Miller traveled extensively, from Paris to Cairo, taking her camera everywhere with her. She broke codes and initiated herself into Surrealist art, using techniques like “solarization” or double exposure and playing with framing angles. In 1945, her career took a major turn: she was one of the first to enter the horror of Dachau and Buchenwald. Her photographs, published in Vogue under the shocking title "Believe it," slapped the entire world by revealing the unspeakable. A dazzling life-work that, from the glossy pages of fashion to the ruins of History, forces us to see in order to finally understand.

Lee Miller, from April 10 to August 02, 2026, at the Musée d’Art moderne de Paris, 11 Av. du Président Wilson, Paris 16e. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

 © Lee Miller Archives England 2026

Forget cold marble and inert stone: the exhibition “Michel-Ange / Rodin. Corps vivants” at the Louvre symbolizes a burning hand-to-hand struggle that spans the ages. Imagine the electric encounter between the terribilità of the Renaissance and the feverish sensuality of the 19th century. We discover all facets of this unique art: the precise study of human anatomy, ancient inspiration, and the desire to transcend reality (the Platonic theory of phantastiké, editor's note). An exhibition that makes the art of the greatest master sculptors resonate through the centuries and up to today—a rare experience that breathes life into frozen works.

Michel-Ange / Rodin. Corps vivants, from April 15 to July 20 at the Louvre, 8 rue Sainte-Anne, Paris 1er. Open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday, and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday. Closed on Tuesday. 

© Musée du Louvre

The best way to be an independent woman in the 17th century? Widowhood. A particularly cultured woman of letters, widowed at 25, Madame de Sévigné, born Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, frequented the most refined literary circles of the capital alongside the marquise de Rambouillet and Mademoiselle de Scudéry, three friends who would be nicknamed “Les Précieuses.” The Musée Carnavalet, where Sévigné lived for 20 years, highlights the profound bond linking her to Paris, and more specifically to the Marais, her favorite neighborhood (and ours, obviously). XXL portraits signed by Claude Lefèbvre and Jean Nocret, personal belongings, and rare letters from her correspondence with her daughter: we are invited to rediscover the life of this female figure of French literature, never published during her lifetime.

Madame de Sévigné, lettres parisiennes from April 15 to August 20 at the Musée Carnavalet, 23 Rue de Sévigné, Paris 3e. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. © Musée Carnavalet / Vitré, château des Rochers-Sévigné / Bibliothèque nationale de France

Does Naive art ring a bell? Head to the Musée de l’Orangerie to admire the splendid canvases of Henri Rousseau, nicknamed Le Douanier Rousseau. The exhibition explores his legend and deeply examines his artistic journey, his creative process, and the materiality of his works. Between his lush jungles and dreamlike visions, the show deconstructs the genius of a self-taught artist who broke all the rules. Instantly recognizable, we pause before his essential paintings: The Sleeping Gypsy, War, or his self-portrait Myself, true 2D journeys!

Henri Rousseau, l’ambition de la peinture from March 25 to July 20 at the Musée de l’Orangerie, Jardin des Tuileries, Paris 1er. Open every day except Tuesday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

© National Gallery Prague / Traktorminze / Art Institute of Chicago

To celebrate the centenary of the arrival of the most Parisian of American sculptors, the Fondation Louis Vuitton is pulling out all the stops. Until August 16, head over for a lightness cure with “Calder. Rêver en équilibre.” No more immobile sculpture: here, we are talking about poetry in motion, wire drawing in the void, and masterpieces that dance at the slightest breeze. We begin by marveling at the mythical Cirque Calder before getting lost among 300 iconic pieces: legendary mobiles, XXL stabiles, and even graphic jewelry that we’d love to borrow to boost an evening look. It’s airy, it’s chic, and it’s the perfect spot for an ultra-inspiring culture shot.

Calder. Rêver en équilibre, from April 15 to August 16 at the Fondation Louis Vuitton, 8 avenue du Mahatma Gandhi, Paris 16e. Open Tuesday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. © Ugo Mulas-Calder Foundation / Fondation Louis Vuitton David Bordes / Fondation Louis Vuitton - Marc Domage

Discover also 3 grandiose shows to book this spring and 7 free exhibitions to discover right now