The Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris is reviving the legacy of Gustave Fayet, a 19th- and early 20th-century collector whose private salon once drew artists like Van Gogh and Gauguin. A major exhibition, running from October 9, 2026, to March 8, 2027, gathers over 700 works from his dispersed collection, including 10 Van Gogh paintings and 78 Gauguin pieces, alongside his own artistic creations.
A Lost Vision Reclaimed
Gustave Fayet, a winegrower turned art patron, amassed a collection that could have been as celebrated as the Courtauld’s if it had remained intact. His 1905 salon at 51 rue de Bellechasse became a hub for artists like Picasso, Matisse, and Gauguin. Now, the Fondation Louis Vuitton’s exhibition Gustave Fayet: Collector – Artist Designer
reconstructs his vision, featuring works such as Van Gogh’s Autoportrait à l’oreille bandée
(1889), which hasn’t been publicly shown in France since 1937. The show, spanning 728 works and documents, includes 250 pieces from Fayet’s original collection, many loaned by private and institutional lenders.
From Collector to Creator
Fayet’s influence extended beyond collecting. The exhibition highlights his own artistic output, including ceramics, watercolors, and textiles. His ‘Boulevard de Clichy’ by Pierre Bonnard (circa 1911) and his textile designs from the 1920s highlight his role as a designer. I think he stopped painting because he started collecting, and so he was just living in front of the paintings of Cézanne, Gauguin, and Van Gogh,
says d’Andoque, who published a book on his ancestor. The show also features Fayet’s commissioning of Odilon Redon’s “Le Jour”, “La Nuit” and “Le Silence” for the abbey library.
A Collection Scattered, Then Reassembled
Fayet’s collection was dispersed after his 1925 death, with works sold off piecemeal and privately. The exhibition relies on loans from 64 institutions and 71 private collections. Key loans include Cézanne’s “The Great Pine” (1887–1889) and Gauguin’s Trois Tahitiens
. The show also notes Fayet’s loan of several dozen works to Paris’s 1906 Salon d’automne Gauguin retrospective.
The Man Behind the Masterpieces
Born in 1865 in a rich family of wine-growing proprietors, Fayet balanced business with art. He was an entrepreneur and a peripatetic businessman, yet his passion lay in collecting and creating. Fayet’s support for artists like Redon and his early advocacy for Van Gogh and Picasso positioned him as a modern art pioneer. The exhibition presents his work through two complementary sections: Gustave Fayet as collector and Gustave Fayet as creator, showcasing his experimental techniques, including watercolor on blotting paper where he allowed the watercolor to diffuse freely.
A Legacy Restored
The exhibition’s scale—740 works and documents total—reflects Fayet’s multifaceted impact. It also underscores the challenges of preserving his legacy: his wife’s control over archives and the piecemeal sale of his collection. It produces a great emotion in all of us,
says d’Andoque, whose nephew Barthélémy d’Andoque runs the Association du Musée d’Art Gustave Fayet à Fontfroide. For visitors, the show offers a rare glimpse into a collector who shaped modern art’s trajectory, with works like Gauguin’s Le Christ Jaune
(1889).
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