The Empire of sleep

From 9 October 2025 to 1 March 2026, the Marmottan Monet Museum is hosting a fascinating exhibition entitled ‘The Empire of Sleep’, which explores the many representations of sleep in art. Curated by Laura Bossi, neurologist and science historian, and Sylvie Carlier, director of the museum's collections, this exhibition examines the symbolic, allegorical and scientific significance of sleep throughout the centuries.

Sleep, mirror of the soul and the world

The exhibition is organised around eight thematic sections, highlighting around a hundred works – paintings, sculptures, drawings, objects and scientific documents.
The journey begins in the 19th century, a period of major upheaval in the imagination of sleep, and extends into the 20th century. The works from this period are placed in dialogue with pieces from Antiquity, the Middle Ages, the Modern Era and the Contemporary period, revealing the permanence of universal themes: the sleep of the innocent, biblical dreams, the ambivalence between rest and death, the eroticism of the sleeping body, dreams and nightmares.

Between science, mysticism and intimacy

The exhibition is not limited to aesthetics: it also addresses the scientific, philosophical and psychoanalytical influences on the representation of sleep. Mesmerism, sleep disorders and their medical iconography are also explored. A particularly evocative section is dedicated to the bedroom, an intimate and symbolic space, revealing the customs and traditions associated with this place of rest and reverie.

Find even more cultural excitement in the exhibitions of Paris Region.