Jacques-Louis David’s Legacy at 200 and Other Fall Programming

This fall, the Louvre Museum is presenting a landmark series of exhibitions and programs, offering visitors a rare opportunity to engage with some of art history’s most celebrated works.

Currently on view through January 26, 2026 is Jacques-Louis David, commemorating the bicentennial of the artist’s death. David is a towering figure in European art, and the exhibition traces his remarkable career as it navigated six political regimes, as well as the upheaval of the French Revolution. His works—from The Death of Marat to Napoleon Crossing the Alps—continue to shape how we visualize the Revolution and the Napoleonic Empire, while his portraits bring to life the society of his era. This is the first major exhibition of his work since 1989 and emphasizes the extraordinary richness and diversity of David’s oeuvre. Seen together, they highlight the inventive force and expressive power behind his rigorous compositions.

The show features over 100 works, including the imposing, unfinished Tennis Court Oath. An ambitious project of this scale could only be undertaken at the Louvre, which holds the largest collection of David’s paintings and drawings. The exhibition illuminates David not only as an artist but also as a prominent social and political actor, whose influence extended across Europe and whose engagement ultimately led to his exile after the fall of Napoleon.

In addition to the historic David exhibition, two other exhibitions and installations are opening at the museum this fall. Carracci Drawings: The Making of the Galleria Farnese will be on view from November 5, 2025 – February 2, 2026 and will bring the spirit of the Galleria Farnese to Paris, assembling an extraordinary collection of preparatory drawings never before exhibited together. Visitors will witness the process behind Carracci’s masterpieces as the exhibition recreates the gallery’s decoration like a vast artistic jigsaw puzzle. Immersive design includes a full-scale reproduction of the Galleria’s vaulted ceiling and a second, smaller ceiling from the Camerino, where Annibale Carracci first tested his visionary designs, offering an exceptional encounter with the artist’s genius.  AFL is proud to partner with one of our patrons—who is also a lender to the exhibition—to support this important scholarship and show.

Additionally, a newly named space, Galerie des Cinq Continents (Gallery of the Five Continents) will reopen in late-November after undergoing renovations. Prior to its opening in 2006, the Musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac began exhibiting and showcasing art within the Louvre’s Pavillon des Sessions in 2000. The galleries were intended to showcase masterpieces from Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas—recognizing the artistic significance of non-Western art. The renovations are updating the space after 25 years and were made possible in part through the support of AFL French Board Member Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière. The renewed space will feature enhanced displays, improved visitor circulation, and strengthened collaboration with the Quai Branly Museum.

Finally, the 2025 edition of La Chaire du Louvre, titled Je veux un musée. J’ai besoin d’un musée. J’imagine un musée. (I want a museum. I need a museum. I imagine a museum.), is a series of five public lectures at the museum and will honor Glenn Lowry. The former 30-year director of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, will explore the evolving roles and challenges of museums in contemporary society, drawing inspiration from André Malraux’s Le Musée imaginaire and Andrea Geyer’s manifesto emphasizing visitor voices. The lectures feature discussions with artists, museum directors, curators, and visitors, addressing topics such as museum space appropriation, modern art narratives, ideal museum concepts, and the pressures faced by institutions today. See here for list of lecture dates.