Five exhibitions to see in France this summer

1. Lautrec lithographs

Hard-living aristocratic painter Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec is inextricably linked to the town of his birth – Albi in the Tarn – and his most famous works remain the affiches (posters) he made for various Paris companies and nightclubs.

The museum in his name right next to the monumental Sainte-Cécile Cathedrale in the centre of town is putting on a special exhibition dedicated to his prized lithographs, running until August 31.

“Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec proved to be an excellent lithographer and a precursor of the modern advertising poster,” says the museum.

The posters will be presented alongside sketches and preparatory studies, while visitors can also learn how the works were originally printed and later restored.

2. Building blocks of creativity

Lego lovers of all ages will love “Art of the Brick”, the hugely popular touring exhibition (10 million visitors and counting) which is currently in Bordeaux until July 27.

With over 1 million LEGO® bricks used, it features a series of sculptures, as well as reimagined versions of some of the world’s most famous artistic masterpieces, such as Michelangelo’s David, Van Gogh’s Starry Night.

The exhibition also features a play and construction zone for children and adults alike.

3. Time travel

Revisit the golden age of transatlantic travel with a super exhibition at the Musée d’art moderne André Malraux (MuMa) in Le Havre (Seine-Maritime, Normandy).

To mark 90 years since the maiden voyage of the famous ocean liner Normandie, Paquebots 1913-1942, Une Esthétique Transatlantique (Ocean liners, A Transatlantic Aesthetic, 1913-1942) features artworks and posters depicting these the ‘giants of the seas’ until September 21.

4. Party like it’s 1599

Art-loving readers living in the northeast of France should make their way to Lille’s Palais des Beaux-Arts for a special exhibition celebrating the depiction of Flemish festivals and celebrations in art.

Forming part of the lille3000 season, Fêtes et Célébrations Flamandes is curated in collaboration with the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Musée de l’Hospice Comtesse and the Louvre, Paris and aims “to explore the Flemish festivals of the 16th and 17th centuries, from royal balls, formal and urban feast days to fêtes and King’s Days”.

You can enjoy works by the likes of Brueghel, Rubens, Jordaens and Alexander van Bredael. The exhibition runs until September 1. 

5. Snap happy in Arles

Get some photographic inspiration from July 7 to October 5, when the annual showpiece cultural event in the lovely Bouches-du-Rhône town of Arles gets under way.

The theme for the 56th edition of the international photography festival Les Rencontres de la photographie is ‘Disobedient Images’, with ‘committed’ works from Australia to Brazil, through North America and the Caribbean, celebrating the diversity of cultures, genders and origins.

Read also: ‘French Banksy’ James Colomina strikes again with new sculpture in Toulouse