Gustave Moreau.
The Middle Ages rediscovered

Besides his well-known “medievalist” works like “The Chimeras” or “The Unicorns,” the Middle Ages permeated his entire artistic output, from his romantic paintings of the 1850s, inspired notably by Shakespeare, to his syncretic works in the late 1890s.

The examination of his creative process takes center stage in this exhibition, aiming to highlight the sources of the medieval universe that inspired the painter.

The presentation of Gustave Moreau’s works (paintings, watercolors, drawings), including some pieces that will be brought out of storage for this occasion, alongside photographs, prints, books, and art objects (including prestigious loans from the Louvre Museum and the National Library of France), will showcase the artist’s reinventions of the medieval era during the second half of the 19th century.

Exhibition curators

Marie-Cécile Forest, General Curator of Heritage, Honorary Director of the public establishment of the Jean-Jacques Henner National Museum and the Gustave Moreau National Museum
Emmanuelle Macé, head of documentary studies at the Gustave Moreau Museum
Lilie Fauriac, doctor in art history

Scenography

Hubert Le Gall, assisted by Laurie Cousseau