L'École de Paris: the Marek Roefler collection at the Musée de Montmartre - our photos

The Musée de Montmartre presents "L'École de Paris", an exceptional retrospective featuring over 130 masterpieces from the Marek Roefler collection. For the first time in France, this collection highlights the emblematic artists of Montmartre between the wars, from October 17, 2025 to February 15, 2026.

What if you could relive the energy of the avant-garde where it all began? The Musée de Montmartre presents L'École de Paris, a brand-new exhibition featuring over 130 major works from the Marek Roefler collection, from the Villa La Fleur, on view from October 17, 2025 to February 15, 2026. Paintings, sculptures and testimonies of modernity offer an immersion in the artistic effervescence of Montmartre in the XXᵉ century, cradle of the great creative currents.

A constellation of artists reunited in the neighborhood where they were born

The exhibition comes to life in the very district where this artistic effervescence took root: Montmartre, before Montparnasse became the center of the avant-garde. Through the Marek Roefler collection, visitors are invited to rediscover this cosmopolitan community of artists from all over Europe, who made Paris the home of a plural modernity. Paintings, sculptures, archives: a rare and sensitive collection testifying to their vision of art as a universal language, far removed from academicism.

This exhibition, structured into four main sections, opens with the historical context of this generation of artists, often in exile, fleeing anti-Semitism or authoritarian regimes, in search of a free space in which to create. Paris at the beginning of the 20th century became their anchorage point, and Montmartre the crucible of an international art scene, marked by a melting pot of influences and aesthetic currents.

A living laboratory of modern art

Cubism, Fauvism, Expressionism, Post-Impressionism: these movements intersected and collided, giving rise to an abundant aesthetic. The second part of the exhibition shows how these artists - without belonging to a formal school - actively participated in redefining the codes of modern art. Tamara de Lempicka, Modigliani, Soutine and Zadkine, as well as Henri Epstein, Alice Halicka, Maurice Mendjizky and Chana Orloff, are among the figures highlighted. Particular attention is paid to lesser-known but essential names that enrich our understanding of the movement.

These artists, mostly of Polish, Russian or Jewish origin, look at the world through the lens of their life experiences, memories and the wounds of uprooting. The third part of the exhibition, focusing on works of "exile", reveals a creative process nourished by intimacy, between the quest for identity and collective memory.

From Breton shores to dreamlike landscapes

Finally, the tour ends with an escape beyond the capital: Céret, Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Cassis, or Catalonia, but also interior landscapes born of the artists' imaginations. The exhibition opens up to other horizons, revealing a freedom of creation without frontiers. Whether you're a modern art enthusiast, curious to discover forgotten artists, or simply looking for a moment of contemplation, this visual and emotional journey is for you.

Works full of references accessible to all

Theexhibition, which is rather intimate due to the museum's rather cramped spaces, offers an unparalleled variety of works. The references to the best-known artists and their works are more than obvious if you know anything about Picasso, Cézanne et al. and their works. Please note, however, that due to the small size of the pieces, you'll need to exercise caution when moving around the exhibition, and you'll need to walk to see all the works, as the exhibition is spread over several floors.

On the second floor, next to Maurice Utrillo 's and Suzanne Valadon's studio, you can also take a look at two works by the two artists on display in the room, before continuing your tour. And if you have time, after visiting the exhibition (or before, as the case may be...), the museum moves to the heart of the Sacré-Coeur Basilica with a gigantic work by Jean Dunand and Jean Lambert-Rucki, Christ en Majesté. Not to be missed either.

An exceptional private collection revealed for the first time in France

From Villa La Fleur, near Warsaw, the Marek Roefler Collection is the fruit of over thirty years of passion. Since the 1990s, this Polish collector has patiently assembled one of the finest selections of works associated with theÉcole de Paris, with a particular focus on artists of Polish and Jewish origin. Villa La Fleur, now a must-see in Central Europe, has thus become the ambassador of a little-known branch of modern art.

The Musée de Montmartre, true to its vocation of bringing to life the artistic history of its neighborhood, offers here a sensitive, documented look at a key period, in a place conducive to cultural strolls, family outings or moments for two, far from the hustle and bustle of tourism. It's an opportunity to rediscover Montmartre as the epicenter of an artistic revolution, and to immerse yourself in the diversity of a seminal era.

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