Faces of Artists at the Petit Palais: An Exhibition Celebrating Portraits and Self-Portraits – Our Photos

Small and tall, colorful and monochrome—paintings, sculptures, photographs… There are countless ways to create a portrait, to capture a face, an identity. The Petit Palais, the Museum of Fine Arts in Paris, has curated a selection from its 19th-century collections to offer a comprehensive overview of portrait and self-portrait art.

The exhibition "Faces of Artists. From Gustave Courbet to Annette Messager", running from March 18 to July 19, 2026, offers a captivating showcase of a diverse array of artworks. Visitors will encounter a mix of paintings, sculptures, graphic arts, photographs, and decorative arts drawn from the museum’s collections. Here, there are no landscapes—only portraits and self-portraits. These works reveal how 19th-century artists chose to depict themselves and others, with staging and symbolism that hint at the personality of the subject... or at least, the image they wished to project.

The artists carefully choose their image and depict their friends, patrons, and loved ones in great detail. Through these portraits, we can trace the social ties that unite these artistic circles.

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This exhibition showcases around one hundred works displayed in the basement of the Parisian museum. The Petit Palais has curated a thematic journey divided into four sections. First, it opens with self-portraits, featuring iconic pieces like Gustave Courbet's "Self-Portrait with a Black Dog," alongside paintings by Léon Bonnat and Jacques-Émile Blanche. The second section delves into group portraits, highlighting works such as "The Panorama of the Century" by Henri Gervex. It also presents a gallery of busts of Impressionist painters—Edgar Degas, Auguste Renoir, Claude Monet, and Camille Pissarro—sculpted by Paul Paulin and specially brought out from the museum's reserves for this occasion.

The exhibition then introduces us to the studio space, featuring photographs of the artist amidst her works and surroundings. The final section creates a dialogue between historic masters and contemporary creations by Cindy Sherman, Nan Goldin, and Claire Tabouret.

That’s the true highlight of this exhibition. The Petit Palais has chosen to showcase the work of several contemporary female artists. In total, 13 women artists have been invited by the museum to challenge the traditional genre of portraiture, pushing its boundaries and questioning its conventions and essence.

But the Petit Palais has decided to push the boundaries even further by displaying some of these contemporary works alongside its permanent collections, which are on view upstairs. Visitors can particularly admire pieces by Apolonia Sokol as well as the stunning sculptures by Anne and Patrick Poirier.

Don't expect an exhibition that only highlights 19th-century paintings and sculptures, even if those works are prominently displayed throughout the museum. By incorporating several contemporary pieces, Petit Palais aims to stand out with originality. For instance, the photographs by Sophie Calle and the hyper-realistic sculpture by Hélène Delprat might catch some visitors off guard. Yet, these modern works truly surprise, sparking a fascinating dialogue between the once predominantly male past and the present, where women now have a rightful place. It’s a compelling angle that really resonated with us. We would have loved to see even more contemporary creations included in the exhibition.

We also recommend taking your time and extending your visit by exploring the permanent collections of the museum, where some contemporary pieces have been displayed. It’s a great opportunity to discover or revisit the permanent holdings at the Petit Palais, including several works acquired recently. Remember, these permanent collections are freely accessible, whereas the exhibition "Faces of Artists. From Gustave Courbet to Annette Messager" requires an admission fee. And don’t miss a moment under Maurice Denis’s (1925) dome, where you can enjoy a stunning panorama of art history, sprinkled with portraits of artists!