Art and artists from France

France has a long history and passion with all forms of art from painting to modern forms of sculpture and architecture (Palace of Versailles to the Centre Pompidou).

Learn about French Art

Important historical dates in French art

The Gothic period

  • The building of the cathedral of Reims and Amiens, La Sainte Chapelle in Paris
  • Jacquemart de Hesdin (1350-1410) Le Portement de Croix
  • Michel Colombe (1430-1511)

The Renaissance period

  • Jean Clouet (1485-1541) Portrait of François I, king of France.
  • Jean Bullant (1515 - 1578) Fontainebleau
  • Philibert de l'Orme (1510-1570) Fontainebleau
  • Jacques Bellange (1575-1616) The Lamentation of Christ
  • Georges de La Tour (1593-1652) The Cheat with the Ace of Diamonds

18th century

  • Charles Joseph Natoire (1700-1777) The Triumph of Bacchus
  • Jean-Germain Drouais (1763-1788) Le Comte D'Artois
  • Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825) The Death of Marat

19th century

Artists with the neo-classicisme, romantisme, impressionisme and realisme.

  • Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres (1780-1867) Jupiter et Thétis
  • Gustave Courbet (1819 -1877) Les cribleuses de blé
  • Edouad Manet (1832- 1883) Le déjeuner sur l'herbe
  • Edgar Degas (1834-1877) Fin d'arabesque
  • Paul Cezanne (1839-1906 ) La Mer a Lestaque
  • Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) The thinker
  • Claude Monet (1840-1926) Le Pont Japonais a Giverny
  • Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) Le Moulin de la Galette
  • Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) Deux Thaitiennes Accroupiees
  • Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901)

20th century

  • Henri Matisse ((1869-1954)
  • Cesar (1921-1998)
  • Edouard Boubat (1923-1999)

Expos to visit

OpenExpo Online gallery open to artists from all over the world. Artists can create their own exhibition, set prices and write information about all their works. Vistiors can purchase works. You do not have to be French to join the OpenExpo, so if you are an artist, visit the site and become a member.

Le Dessin Gallery A collection of drawings and paintings by French students.

Living artists

Raymond Dumoux Painted panorama which evokes the humanity's story

Art museums

Even though the most famous museums are considered to be concentrated in the capital of Paris, you will find museums all over the country.