The Montmartre Museum is hosting an extraordinary winter exhibition featuring nearly 130 masterpieces from the École de Paris, showcasing works by renowned artists including Modigliani, Foujita, and Tamara de Lempicka. Running from October 17, 2025, to February 15, 2026, the exhibition presents the remarkable collection of Polish collector Marek Roefler, who has assembled an immense collection of École de Paris artworks over the past twenty years.
Roefler's extensive collection is normally housed at Villa La Fleur in Konstancin-Jeziorna, Poland, which currently features a retrospective of sculptor and painter Boleslas Biegas, who is also well-represented in the Paris exhibition. The collector has dedicated himself to this particular moment in art history, scouring auction houses in search of works by these exiled artists, particularly those from his native Poland.
The École de Paris emerged in the early 20th century when numerous artists from across Europe came to settle in Paris, crowding into the many studios of Montmartre, Montparnasse, and La Ruche in the 15th arrondissement. This artistic movement developed in multiple directions, from Cubism to Expressionism, though the works often retain traces of their creators' countries of origin.
Across the two exhibition levels of the Montmartre Museum, visitors encounter the great names of the École de Paris: drawings by Modigliani and Foujita, sculptures by Chana Orloff and Biegas, and paintings by Soutine and Lempicka. It is remarkable that this Polish collector has been able to gather so many historical pieces in a relatively short time. His collection is said to comprise several thousand pieces, and despite the significant loans made for the Montmartre exhibition, his museum walls remain abundantly filled.
The exhibition's particular strength lies in bringing forgotten artists back into the spotlight, whether foreign or French. Supported by numerous intellectuals including Guillaume Apollinaire, André Salmon, and Gustave Coquiot, the École de Paris artists were able to exhibit and be purchased by collectors and dealers such as Léopold Zborowski and Paul Guillaume. The Roefler collection includes works by Jean Cocteau (Portrait of Apollinaire), Suzanne Valadon, Jean Metzinger, Léopold Survage, Henri Hayden, and Jules Pascin.
The exhibition gives significant space to female artists such as Mela Muter and Alice Halicka. For Tamara de Lempicka, born in Warsaw, several works of different styles are displayed. The "Russian Dancer," which graces the catalog cover, reflects the artist's admiration for Russian traditions, particularly the kokoshnik, the folk headdress worn by the young woman. Further along, a "Mother and Child" composition stands solidly while a "Corner of the Studio" catches the eye with its small section of blue wall and chest of the same color. Finally, a strange blue canvas concludes the exhibition, showing that Lempicka also ventured into abstraction.
Although their names sound French, many École de Paris creators were foreigners from Poland or Russia, including Louis Marcoussis, Serge Férat, Henri Epstein, and Jean-Lambert Rucki. The exhibition is filled with artists whose names have been forgotten. Abraham Weinbaum appears here with a beautiful still life with fruits as homage to Cézanne. Nathan Grunsweigh celebrates Jewish family life with a Shabbat meal scene. Roman Kramsztyk surprises with his "Sappho," adopting Renaissance conventions.
Sculpture holds a place of honor in the exhibition, even though many pieces are recent castings. Notable works include Ossip Zadkine's "Van Gogh Walking" near Henri Hayden's harvest scene. The impressive group of busts of École de Paris artists includes Chaïm Soutine, Foujita, and Jeanne Hébuterne (Modigliani's companion) by Léon Indenbaum, and Louis Marcoussis by August Zamoyski. In a cabinet dedicated to classical inspiration, visitors can find Xawery Dunikowski's strange "Madonna" near drawn portraits by Eugène Zak.
The exhibition "École de Paris, Collection Marek Roefler" runs at the Montmartre Museum, located at 12 Rue Cortot, 75018 Paris, offering visitors a rare opportunity to discover both famous and forgotten masters of this pivotal movement in early 20th-century art.
