Louis Janmot, le Poème de l'âme: an unusual exhibition at the Musée d'Orsay - our photos

The Musée d'Orsay is devoting an exhibition to Louis Janmot, painter and poet, and his work Le Poème de l'âme. On view from September 12, 2023 to January 7, 2024.

Louis Janmot was a sensitive artist, both painter and poet. Born in Lyon, he quickly attracted the attention of his fellow artists. Inspired by religion and a pupil of Ingres, he was one of the artists who enabled the transition from Romanticism to Symbolism. The Musée d'Orsay invites you to discover the astonishing work of Louis Janmot, in an exceptional exhibition on view from September 12, 2023 to January 7, 2024.

Religious paintings, bucolic scenes, poems: on the face of it, the work of this Lyonnais artist seems quite classic... In reality, Louis Janmot built up some extraordinary ensembles, which tell a long story. The Musée d'Orsay's exhibition focuses on Le Poème de l'âme, a group of 18 paintings and 16 large drawings, as well as a long poem explaining the series.

The entire Poem of the Soul is brought together in Paris for this exhibition. This unique ensemble reveals its many secrets to visitors, who can listen to a recitation of the poem while admiring the paintings and drawings.

This long, contemplative journey into Janmot's world allows us to discover and appreciate the artist's singularity. Marked by his religious upbringing, Louis Janmot chose to illustrate and recount the initiatory journey of a soul on Earth. From birth to death, through the influences of Good and Evil, this soul grows through the works and tells the story of mankind.

The exhibition allows us to admire this exceptional and fragile ensemble. A blend of literature and painting, this creation is Janmot's masterpiece. The Musée d'Orsay also explains the influences and references behind these paintings, enabling us to better appreciate and understand Le Poème de l'âme.

The Musée d'Orsay offers us a magnificent journey into this story, told and painted. The life that unfolds before our eyes is touching in its universality: the shimmering colors and beautiful flowery landscapes of childhood give way to more difficult scenes. Lost love turns into deep despair, a vain quest for happiness. Illusions and beliefs fade in the face of the problems of adulthood.

Alongside this epic, we also discover many of the artist's contemporary works, which put Janmot's paintings into perspective.