400 Years of French Naval Art: The Peintres Officiels de la Marine

The Musée national de la Marine in Paris presents 'La Marine et les peintres, quatre siècles d'art et de pouvoir' from May 13 to August 2, 2026, tracing the history of the Peintres Officiels de la Marine (POM) since 1626. The exhibition features 150 works by artists including Claude Vignon, Philippe de Champaigne, Claude Lorrain, Théodore Gudin, Eugène Delacroix, Gustave Courbet, Édouard Manet, and POM members Félix Ziem, Paul Signac, Albert Marquet, and Marin-Marie. The POM title, formalized in 1830 by Louis-Philippe, currently includes 42 artists—painters, sculptors, photographers (Jean Gaumy, Yann Arthus-Bertrand), illustrators, comic authors, and one ceramist (Sylvie du Plessis). Women remain rare: Marie Détrée, Anne Smith, Michèle Battut, Christiane Rosset, and Sylvie du Plessis. Artists document naval life aboard warships, submarines, and icebreakers, often on secret missions. The youngest POM, Jonathan Florent (named 2021), produced 25 works in 15 days on the frigate Aquitaine. The 46th Salon de la Marine runs concurrently, selecting new POM members. Concurrently, 'Les peintres de la marine, œuvres récentes' at Espace Richaud in Versailles (November 19, 2025 – May 3, 2026) shows 73 works by 21 POM. The CESM seeks to involve POM in conflict zones. The tradition dates to Louis XIII's 1626 creation of a state navy, with artists like Joseph Vernet commissioned by Louis XV for 'Vues des ports de France' (1754–1765).