Fontfroide Abbey: The Secret Dialogue Between Gustave Fayet and Odilon Redon
The exhibition at the Fondation Louis Vuitton showcases the collaboration between painter-collector Gustave Fayet and Symbolist artist Odilon Redon (1840–1916). Their acquaintance began in 1900, facilitated by Maurice Fabre. Fayet collected Redon's early charcoal works, reflecting his avant-garde sensibilities. Starting in 1906, Redon produced pastel portraits of Fayet's wife, Madeleine, and their daughters, Simone and Yseult. After purchasing Fontfroide Abbey in 1908, Fayet sought to transform it into a center for art, with Redon significantly involved, financed by the sale of Cezanne and Gauguin artworks. In March 1910, Redon adorned the library with a series inspired by Apollo. Fayet returned to painting and established the Atelier de la Dauphine in 1920. The exhibition is scheduled from 7 October 2026 to 8 March 2027.
Key facts
- Gustave Fayet met Odilon Redon in 1900 through Maurice Fabre, a winemaker and former schoolmate from Sorèze.
- Redon's charcoal drawings were among the first works in Fayet's collection.
- Fayet acquired Fontfroide Abbey at auction in 1908.
- Redon stayed at Fontfroide in March 1910 and agreed to decorate the library with the chariot of Apollo theme.
- Redon created the monumental cycle Le Jour, La Nuit and Le Silence between 1910 and 1911.
- Fayet founded the Atelier de la Dauphine in 1920 to produce textiles based on his pictorial research.
- Fayet's carpets were exhibited at the Salon d'automne, the Société des artistes décorateurs and Galerie Barbazanges.
- In 1926, a year after Fayet's death, an exhibition at the pavillon de Marsan juxtaposed his carpets with Redon's pastels.
- The Fondation Louis Vuitton exhibition runs from 7 October 2026 to 8 March 2027 in Paris.
Entities
Artists
- Gustave Fayet
- Odilon Redon
- Maurice Fabre
- Madeleine d'Andoque
- Simone Fayet
- Yseult Fayet
- Paul Cezanne
- Paul Gauguin
- Jeanne Lanvin
- Count Kessler
- Marcel Kapferer
- Vincent van Gogh
- Henri Matisse
- Edgar Degas
- Paul Cézanne
- Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
- Pierre-Auguste Renoir
- Berthe Morisot
- Paul Signac
- Pierre Bonnard
- Édouard Vuillard
- Dmitry Kostyukov
Institutions
- Fondation Louis Vuitton
- Abbaye de Fontfroide
- Musée d'Art Gustave Fayet à Fontfroide (MAGFF)
- Atelier de la Dauphine
- Salon d'automne
- Société des artistes décorateurs
- Galerie Barbazanges
- pavillon de Marsan
- The Museum of Modern Art
- Connaissance des Arts
- école de Sorèze
- maison Losseau
Locations
- Fontfroide
- Narbonne
- France
- Paris
- Mons
- Belgium
- New York
- United States
- Béziers
- Aude