Ophélie Ferlier Bouat appointed director of Petit Palais, Paris
On June 22, 2026, Paris Musées and the City of Paris revealed that Ophélie Ferlier Bouat will take over as the Petit Palais director, following Annick Lemoine's departure on September 1, 2026. Ferlier Bouat, an expert in 19th- and 20th-century sculpture, has previously held positions at the Musée d'Orsay and led the Musée Bourdelle. Her vision aims to establish Paris as a hub for art, highlight overlooked artists, and curate significant thematic exhibitions. The upcoming 2026-2027 season will showcase a monograph on Eva Gonzalès starting September 15, a carte blanche by Prune Nourry from October 2026 to January 2027, and "Bruxelles 1900" from November 10, 2026, to April 25, 2027.
Key facts
- Ophélie Ferlier Bouat appointed director of Petit Palais on June 22, 2026, effective September 1, 2026.
- She succeeds Annick Lemoine, who became president of Musée d'Orsay and Musée de l'Orangerie on March 19, 2026.
- Ferlier Bouat is a specialist in 19th- and 20th-century sculpture and former director of Musée Bourdelle.
- The Petit Palais holds 45,000 works and receives nearly 1.5 million visitors annually.
- She curated exhibitions at Musée d'Orsay, Musée de l'Orangerie, Grand Palais, and Musée Bourdelle.
- Her roadmap includes permanent collection reconfiguration, emphasis on female artists, and international outreach.
- Upcoming exhibitions: Eva Gonzalès monograph (Sept 15, 2026), Prune Nourry's 'Visionnaires' (Oct 2026-Jan 2027), and 'Bruxelles 1900' (Nov 10, 2026-Apr 25, 2027).
- The appointment is part of a leadership reshuffle at major Paris museums including the Louvre and Musée d'Orsay.
Entities
Artists
- Ophélie Ferlier Bouat
- Annick Lemoine
- Adolfo Wildt
- Paul Gauguin
- Léopold Chauveau
- Aristide Maillol
- Auguste Rodin
- Antoine Bourdelle
- Magdalena Abakanowicz
- Eva Gonzalès
- Édouard Manet
- Prune Nourry
- Laurence des Cars
- Christophe Leribault
- Sylvain Amic
- Emmanuel Macron
- Félicie de Fauveau
- Rembrandt
- Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres
- Gustave Courbet
- Paul Cézanne
- Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux
- Louis Ernest Barrias
Institutions
- Petit Palais – Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris
- Paris Musées
- Inventaire du patrimoine d'Aquitaine
- Musée d'Orsay
- Musée de l'Orangerie
- Grand Palais
- Musée Bourdelle
- Musée du Louvre
- Château de Versailles
- Van Gogh Museum Amsterdam
- Connaissance des Arts
- Petit Palais
- Musée des beaux-arts de la Ville de Paris
- City of Paris
- Musée Carnavalet
- Musée d'Art Moderne
- Louvre
Locations
- Paris
- France
- Amsterdam
- Netherlands
- Brussels
- Belgium