Lenepveu Heir Takes Legal Action to Uncover Chagall Ceiling at Paris Opera
A lawyer has been engaged by a descendant of 19th-century artist Jules-Eugène Lenepveu to initiate legal proceedings aimed at the removal and restoration of the original fresco located at the Palais Garnier. Arnaud Carayon, who leads the Friends of Lenepveu Society, spent three years advocating for this change before turning to the courts. The ceiling painted by Lenepveu in 1923 has remained hidden since 1962, following a commission by culture minister André Malraux for Marc Chagall to create a new work. Carayon suggested alternating the two ceilings after the Palais Garnier's renovation, scheduled for 2027-32. Paris Opera director Alexander Neef recognized the ongoing debate, while curator Anne Montfort-Tanguy referred to Chagall's ceiling as his autobiography and a gift to France.
Key facts
- Arnaud Carayon, a descendant of Jules-Eugène Lenepveu, has instructed a lawyer to take legal action to uncover and restore the original opera ceiling
- The Lenepveu ceiling, The Muses and the Hours of Day and Night, was painted in oil on copper plates and listed as a historic monument in 1923
- Marc Chagall was commissioned in 1962 by culture minister André Malraux and worked secretly and for free for two years on 24 canvases
- Chagall's canvases cover 220 sq metres around the central chandelier and feature dancers, angels, musicians and composers' names
- The Royal Institute of British Architects wrote to Malraux opposing the covering of the original ceiling, but its plea was ignored
- Carayon proposed alternating the Lenepveu and Chagall ceilings for a decade each after the Palais Garnier reopens following 2027-32 renovation
- Carayon wrote two letters to President Emmanuel Macron; the Élysée replied that the president was particularly attentive to the subject
- Paris Opera director Alexander Neef told Le Monde the debate has gone on for more than 60 years and the descendants' wish to defend Lenepveu's memory is legitimate
Entities
Artists
- Jules-Eugène Lenepveu
- Marc Chagall
- André Malraux
- Charles Garnier
- Napoleon III
- Arnaud Carayon
- Anne Montfort-Tanguy
- Alexander Neef
- Emmanuel Macron
- Sir William Cotton
Institutions
- Paris Opera
- Palais Garnier
- Friends of Lenepveu Society
- Royal Institute of British Architects
- Pompidou Centre
- French Academy in Rome
- Élysée Palace
- Le Monde
- The Guardian
- Opéra Garnier
- Opéra di Parigi
- Centre Pompidou
- Musée d'Orsay
- Amici di Lenepveu
- Artnet
Locations
- Paris
- France
- London
- United Kingdom
- Rome
- Italy
- Panthéon
- Parigi
- Francia
- Londra
- Regno Unito