Grands Décors de Notre-Dame: the Mobilier National's grandiose exhibition at the Galerie des Gobelins

After the fire of April 15, 2019, the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris has never been so close to reopening its doors to the public! In December 2024, we will finally be able to rediscover this emblematic monument of the capital, rebuilt thanks to the expertise of our French craftsmen. From April 24 to July 21, 2024, the DRAC Île-de-France and the Mobilier National are joining forces to present a monumentalexhibition on the decor of Notre-Dame de Paris, in the Galerie des Gobelins.

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This is an opportunity to admire masterpieces saved after the fire, as well as contemporary pieces designed to refurnish the cathedral and add a touch of modernity. The exhibition highlights the work carried out over the past five years to restore and rethink the cathedral's interior decor, using the very best craftsmanship.

While the fire was a real tragedy, it was also an opportunity to get to know the cathedral better and take care of the works of art inside, to give them a new lease of life. On some of the restored paintings, craftsmen have discovered elements hidden by time, and brought to light thanks to this goldsmith's work. Playful devices allow visitors to see for themselves how the works of art have been given a new lease of life!

Among the major works on display are thirteen great Mays by the finest 17th-century painters, shown for the first time in two centuries in the same scenography. It's rare to see such vividly colored period paintings, so at the end of the year you'll find a cathedral that's far from dull! It's also an opportunity to take a closer look at these works, which are usually hung far from the ground and less visible.

We also admire the tenture de la vie de la Vierge, a monumental choir carpet donated by Charles X, already very impressive even though only half of this 200m2 object is on display, as well as the cathedral's new liturgical furniture and seating, the result of a competition launched in 2023. A scenography that perfectly showcases these rediscovered treasures, and makes you want to see them once again installed where they belong, for generations to come.