Eva Gonzalès. A Free-Spirited Artist

From 15 September 2026 to 24 January 2027, the Petit Palais is staging, for the first time, a major retrospective of Eva Gonzalès (1847–1883), a major artist who remained largely overlooked for many years. Entitled Parcours d’une artiste libre (Journey of a Free Artist), the exhibition brings together nearly one hundred works – paintings, pastels and engravings – and traces the journey of a woman who asserted her own vision in an art world largely dominated by men. A contemporary of Berthe Morisot and Mary Cassatt, Eva Gonzalès was also the sole pupil of Édouard Manet, with whom she maintained an artistic relationship that was as fruitful as it was exceptional.

Between intimacy and independence

The chronological exhibition invites visitors to step into the artist’s delicate world. Having trained under Charles Chaplin before developing her own pictorial language, Eva Gonzalès focuses on scenes from everyday life, portraits of women and the subtle play of light. Works such as Young Girl Waking Up and A Box at the Italiens demonstrate a sensitive style of painting, attentive to both ordinary gestures and frozen moments. The exhibition also reveals a resolutely independent personality: although she exhibited regularly at the Salon, she chose never to join the Impressionist group, preferring to forge her own path.

An essential rediscovery

Having died prematurely at the age of 36, just a few days after the birth of her son, Eva Gonzalès saw her work gradually fall into oblivion despite the esteem in which she was held by her contemporaries. By restoring her rightful place in art history today, the Petit Palais highlights the originality of her artistic journey and the modernity of her vision. Set against works by Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt and Marie Bracquemond, this exhibition offers a fascinating reinterpretation of women’s artistic creation in the late 19th century.

Feel the thrill of art at the exhibitions in the Paris Region.