There are so many works of art that the public has never been able to discover, but from February 1 to 8, 2026, the Grand Palais will be unveiling for the first time a large-scale commission placed by Louis XIV with the Manufactures nationales, works never before unveiled. In the early days of the Sun King's reign, Versailles was not yet on the agenda, and it was for the Louvre that 92 monumental carpets were commissioned to cover the 442-meter floor of the Grande Galerie.
These were woven as agreed between 1668 and 1688, a technical feat never seen before, whose magnificent motifs were imagined by Charles Le Brun, the king's painter. The Manufacture de la Savonnerie and the Manufacture des Gobelins brought them to life, covering a width of 9 meters and a total weaving area of almost 4,000 m². But Colbert 's death intervened and the king finally decided to move to Versailles, leaving the carpets to suffer the ravages of time, between revolutions, sales, destruction and cutting.
But under the First Empire and then the Restoration, more than thirty pieces were bought back, and the heritage seemed to be coming together. Last year, in 2024, the Mobilier National recovered a major fragment of the 50th carpet! Today, 41 of the 92 original carpets are preserved in the collections of the Manufactures nationales, 33 of them intact, along with 4 of the 13 carpets created for the Galerie d'Apollon.
This exceptional decorative ensemble, one of the largest ever designed for a royal palace, will be on display for a few days in the Nave of the Grand Palais, during a historic exhibition.
Dates and Opening Time
From February 1, 2026 to February 8, 2026
Location
Grand Palais
3 Avenue du Général Eisenhower
75008 Paris 8
Access
M° Champs-Elysées Clemenceau
Official website
www.grandpalais.fr
