At Grand Palais, centuries of art seek new collectors

Fine Arts Paris brings nearly 100 galleries to the Grand Palais, placing centuries of art under one roof and inviting a new generation to take part in collecting.

In Paris, on a September afternoon, visitors entering the Grand Palais will encounter a version of art history very different from the one presented in the museums nearby. There will be paintings, sculptures, jewelry, tapestries, archaeological objects and furniture. Here, they are not only exhibited but are part of an active market.

From Sept. 19 through 23, Fine Arts Paris will host 100 galleries at the Grand Palais for its 2026 edition and participate for the first time in the European Heritage Days program. More than 20 specialties are represented at the fair. It ranges from Old Masters to 20th-century design and contemporary art.

The Grand Palais is perfectly suited to that idea. Built for the 1900 Exposition Universelle, it reflects Paris’ ability to bring culture and spectacle together. Fine Arts Paris made the Grand Palais its home after an extensive renovation. This year, French architect and interior designer Charles Zana is responsible for the scenography. He has organized the fair into three “villages,” connected by aisles and punctuated by squares.

Visitors can speak directly with dealers about an object’s attribution, condition and provenance. Many of the works displayed can also be purchased directly from the galleries representing them. Conversations with dealers can turn objects into stories about previous owners, changing tastes and the circumstances under which a work was rediscovered.

Not everything is for sale. Fine Arts Paris also includes institutional presentations, and the Musée du Grand Siècle will be the guest of honor this year. It is scheduled to open in Saint-Cloud in 2028. The museum grew out of a donation from Pierre Rosenberg, the former president-director of the Musée du Louvre, and will be devoted to French art, science and society of the 17th century.

“New Horizons,” introduced for the 2026 edition, brings together 11 stands for emerging dealers and creators, some participating in an international fair of this scale for the first time. Each will work from a stand of about 10 square meters (107.6 square feet), a modest foothold inside one of Paris’s largest exhibition halls.

The objects gathered beneath the Grand Palais roof have already passed through other rooms, collections and generations. For five days in September, they will be arranged for another audience to encounter them and, in some cases, decide where they go next.