From September 23, 2026, to January 24, 2027, the exhibition *L'Étoffe de l'Artiste* (The Artist's Attire) at the Musée Antoine Bourdelle in Paris's 15th arrondissement explores how painters and sculptors—from the late 19th to the mid-20th century—used clothing to shape their public image, identity, and working persona.

 

 

Following the rediscovery of Antoine Bourdelle’s clothing in 2020, the Bourdelle Museum explores, in a new exhibition, the self-representations and the staging strategies of artists through their attire, from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century.

 

The exhibition "The Fabric of the Artist" features little-known garments worn by iconic or lesser-known figures, both men and women (Gustav Klimt, Rosa Bonheur, Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita, Sonia Delaunay, Camille Bernier…), presented in dialogue with paintings, sculptures, graphic arts, and photographs. ​

 

By the end of the 19^th century, while most artists posed in black attire, some painters and sculptors used their clothing to assert their membership in a group, while others appeared in smocks, overalls, or jumpsuits, embodying a new ideal of the artist at work.

Dress codes soon multiplied, fueled by a movement toward individuality. At the turn of the 20^th century, the wardrobe became alternately a revolutionary manifesto, an extension of the creative act, or even an affirmation of identity: fluidity of gender and games of cross-dressing, a quest for real or imagined otherworlds, belonging or marginality. Artists carefully composed their outfits, creating recognizable silhouettes for posterity.

 

At the intersection of art history, sociology, and fashion, the exhibition reveals how clothing and accessories shape iconic figures, embodying the fabric of the artist.

 

For the first time, more than 50 textile pieces, accessories, and objects worn by artists have been brought together, the result of extensive research conducted by the curators across the collections and archives of both institutions and private collectors.

These unique pieces are juxtaposed with 50 photographs, 33 paintings, 12 drawings, and 9 sculptures in a chrono-thematic exhibition layout, capturing the styles, looks, and self-presentation that instantly identify the subjects as artists.

Particular attention has been paid to the diversity of the artists represented, with women making up nearly a quarter of those featured.

 

 

Dates and opening hours:

From September 23, 2026, through January 24, 2027​

Tuesday through Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Closed on Mondays and certain holidays (May 1, December 25, January 1).

The café-restaurant Le Rhodia is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

 

Admission fees:

Full price: 12 euros

Reduced price: 10 euros

Free: under 18, job seekers, Paris Musée card holders, etc.

 

 

How to get to the Bourdelle Museum at the Hotel Jardin Le Brea?

Bourdelle Museum - 18 Rue Antoine Bourdelle 75015 Paris

- From the Hotel Jardin Le Bréa, you can walk there—the museum is just a 15-minute walk from our hotel! Simply walk up Boulevard du Montparnasse toward the Montparnasse Tower, pass it, then take Rue de l’Arrivée and turn right onto Avenue du Maine. You’ll eventually see Rue Antoine Bourdelle—take that street, and you’ll arrive at the museum, located at number 18 on that same street.

 

 

Practical Information

https://www.bourdelle.paris.fr/en

 

 

Image : Boris Lipnitzki, Foujita dans son atelier. Paris, vers 1925 © Boris Lipnitzki / Roger-Viollet