Prune Nourry Resurrects Forgotten Women Sculptors in Petit Palais Carte Blanche
In the collections of the Petit Palais, only 4% of the works are attributed to women, represented by just four sculptors. This finding prompted Prune Nourry to create the exhibition "Visionnaires," which will run from October 20, 2026, to January 24, 2027, at the Paris museum. The exhibit will showcase her latest busts displayed in both the collection and the garden. Nourry, who was born in 1985, crafted her "Vénus" commission for 2027 while working in an atelier at the Saint-Denis-Pleyel station. Each bust, measuring at least 70 cm, is sculpted from cellular concrete and meticulously finished by hand. Featured artists include Käthe Kollwitz, Selma Hortense Burke, and Camille Claudel. A 184-page catalogue published by Gallimard is available for 39 euros. During Paris art week, the station atelier will be open to the public for free, featuring 108 terracotta Vénus.
Key facts
- Women sign only 4% of works in the Petit Palais collections, including four sculptors
- "Visionnaires" runs October 20, 2026 to January 24, 2027 at the Petit Palais in Paris
- Nancy Elizabeth Prophet's bust measures 3.50 meters and stands in the museum garden
- Busts start at 70 cm in clay, are scanned, carved in cellular concrete and finished by hand
- Hélène Bertaux opened the École des beaux-arts to women in 1897, per Nourry
- The Gallimard catalogue has 184 pages, about 150 illustrations and costs 39 euros
- 108 Vénus dionysiennes, 1.70 m tall, will line 27 meters of escalators at Saint-Denis-Pleyel in 2027
- The Kengo Kuma-designed station atelier opens free during Paris art week, 12h to 19h
Entities
Artists
- Prune Nourry
- Nancy Elizabeth Prophet
- Jane Poupelet
- Daria Gamsaragan
- Käthe Kollwitz
- Selma Hortense Burke
- Sarah Bernhardt
- Adèle d'Affry
- Marcello
- Hélène Bertaux
- Camille Claudel
- Wang Jingyuan
- Marie Bashkirtseff
- Berthe Girardet
- Kengo Kuma
- Consuelo de Saint-Exupéry
- Anne Rivière
- Hannah Silver
Institutions
- Petit Palais
- Société des grands projets
- Grand Paris Express
- École Boulle
- École des beaux-arts
- Catharsis Arts Foundation
- Boko Haram
- Gallimard
- BeauxArts.com
- Adagp
- Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris
- Galerie Templon
- Musée Camille Claudel
- Musée des Beaux-Arts de Tours
- Musée de Pont-Aven
- Ministère de la Culture
- Connaissance des Arts
- Wallpaper*
Locations
- Paris
- France
- New York
- United States
- Saint-Denis
- Saint-Denis-Pleyel
- Saint-Ouen
- India
- China
- Nigeria
- Chibok
- Hudson River
- Egypt
- Armenia
- Germany
- Carrare
- Avenue Winston Churchill
- 39 boulevard d'Ornano
- Nogent-sur-Seine
- Tours
- Pont-Aven
- Avenue Winston-Churchill, 75008 Paris
- Saint-Denis Pleyel
- Avenue Winston-Churchill
- Champs-Élysées-Clemenceau