When color becomes a language in its own right.

On the cardboard itself, the broad expanses of blue-green of the Square des Batignolles. And there, a woman opens a window as she opens the artwork. We hesitate to look at her, since she is so real. Yet, the image is almost imprecise. At the end of the 19th century, a group of young artists decided to break with the illusion of reality. Gathered under the name of the Nabis, "the prophets" in Hebrew, Pierre Bonnard, Édouard Vuillard, Maurice Denis, Paul Sérusier, and Félix Vallotton, made painting an autonomous language, where color, rhythm, and composition take precedence over simple representation. This exhibition retraces the spirit of an unparalleled silent revolution, through a collection of rare works alongside paintings by Paul Gauguin, a leading figure of the movement. Here, there is nothing spectacular: interiors, gardens, familiar figures, and scenes of everyday life become the sites of a sensory experience where every surface vibrates with secret correspondences. The Nabis set themselves the mission of translating the profound emotion of the world. More than a century after their creation, their works retain a striking modernity.

GALERIE HÉLÈNE BAILLY MARCILHAC
From September 8 to October 15, 2026
71 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008
Miromesnil (9/13) - Mon. to Fri.
9am-7pm, Sat. 10am-7pm - Free admission