“Giardinetti necklace”, mid XVIII th century, Albion Art collection at Hotel de Mercy-Argenteau from 19 th to 26 th September, photo Tsuneharu Doi

As you all know by now, La Rentrée is a major moment in Paris’ artistic and social life. 500 new novels come out, exhibitions are being inaugurated and the opera and concert season starts at Théâtre des Champs Elysées, the Paris Opera and the Philharmonie. The leaves of chestnut trees get brown prematurely, vacations are over and night falls at 7 pm… But don’t be depressed, many beautiful events await you. The first major opening will be on September 4, Surrealism at Centre Pompidou. Curated by Didier Ottinger and Marie Sarré, it is presented as a maze where the visitor is invited to dive and  celebrates the 100 th anniversary of the movement, with Leonora Carrington, Dorothea Tanning, Salvador Dali… Musée Jacquemart-André reopens with the 40 “Masterpieces of Galleria Borghese” on September 6 and in Chartres, the cathedral unveils its “Trésor“, 150 exceptional liturgical objects and statues in the chapel Saint Piat entirely restored for the past seven years.

Dorothea Tanning, Birthday, 1942, Philadelphia Museum of Art at Centre Pompidou on September 4

On September 18, Musée Guimet will show “The Gold of the Ming”  dedicated to the jewelry and costumes of women in Imperial China from 14 th to 17 th Century. Lent by the Museum of Qujiang in Xi’an, Shaanxi, as part of the French Chinese diplomatic Celebration, the exceptional private collection of Peter Viem Kwok will be an event.

Dragon shaped Gold Filigree at Musée Guimet in “L’Or des Ming” exhibition on September 18

On September 19, 80 French contemporary painters will stand by their work in the Grande Nef of  Musée d’Orsay from 2 pm to 9.30 pm.  Lejourdespeintres includes confirmed painters like Philippe Cognée or François Boisrond and lesser known talents like portraitist Cyril Duret. It will definitely be a moment and a place to be and be seen.

Cyril Duret, “At Jérôme Picon”, 2022, at musée d’Orsay on the 19 th

Not far from there at 6 rue de Bourgogne, Naïla de Monbrison will open an exhibition of jewels by Delphine Nardin on September 24. The refined gallerist has a talent for finding new artists with affordable prices.

Delphine Nardin, Earrings in sea glass and gold, at Naïla de Monbrison On September 24

At Musée du Petit Palais the season opens on October 1 with a Swedish painter Bruno Liljefors 1860-1939, and will be followed by the first French retrospective of  Jusepe de Ribera on November 5, with one hundred paintings by the Spanish master.

Bruno Liljefors, Variable Hare, 1905, The Thiel Gallery Stockholm, at Petit Palais on October 1, photo Tord Lund

And on September 15, the Cuban painter Jorge Camacho, will have a new exhibition at Sophie Sheidecker‘s gallery on rue des Minimes. From September 5-14 Design week presents a number of events in 400 sites around Paris. At Hotel de La Marine, Pierre Renart, the extraordinary wood carver represented by Maison Parisienne, shows a hammock made of seven pieces of hornbeam.

Pierre Renart, “Escale” is inspired by a hamock in precious wood at Hotel de La Marine during Paris Design week, 5-14 Septem 

Verdi’s Falstaff opens at Opera Bastille on September 10, directed by Dominique Pitoiset with Ambrogio Maestri, Olivia Boen, Marie Andrée Bouchard- Lesieur and Marie-Nicole Lemieux. At TCE, Cosi fan Tutte conducted by Marc Minkowski opens on the 24 th of September, and at the Philharmonie the Orchestre de Paris conducted by 28 year old Klaus Mäkela leads the way on September 11 and the Ensemble Intercontemporain plays Mahler starting on the 13th.

Of course, the Paralympics will be there until the 8 th of September so plan carefully your moves around the capital.