Olivier Debré's Stage Curtains Unveiled at Pavillon Comtesse de Caen

An exhibition at the Pavillon Comtesse de Caen in Paris reveals a lesser-known facet of Olivier Debré's work: his stage curtains. The show, titled 'La peinture en scène', presents around forty preparatory models and sketches that led to three of his theatrical curtains, including those for the Comédie-Française and opera houses in Hong Kong and Shanghai. Debré, a key figure of lyrical abstraction, was known for his large-scale paintings that explored space and light through expansive color fields and free-flowing washes. Trained as an architect, he favored monumental formats, and the stage curtain became the culmination of his ambition to create ever-larger works. The exhibition is particularly significant as it marks the first retrospective of Debré in Paris in twenty years, and it is held at the very institution where he was elected to the Académie des beaux-arts shortly before his death. The venue, the Pavillon Comtesse de Caen, is located at 27 quai de Conti, and the exhibition runs until September 27, 2026. It is open Tuesday to Sunday from 11am to 6pm, closed on Mondays, with free entry.