On a bright spring afternoon in Paris, we wandered from the quiet elegance of the Jardin du Luxembourg into a riot of colour next door. The museum’s Tous Léger! exhibition promised boldness, and it delivered—from the moment you step inside, it’s as though the palette has been turned all the way up.
Tous léger roughly translates as “all lightness” or “entirely light”—a fitting title for a show that celebrates colour, joy, and artistic freedom with unapologetic energy.
Niki de Saint Phalle – the Negresco Connection
I was first drawn in by the name Niki de Saint Phalle. Her work—joyful, defiant, and unapologetically vivid—is hard to ignore. I’d seen her ‘fat lady’ sculptures before, like those in the collection at Le Negresco in Nice, and separately, the striking figure of Miles Davis that greets guests outside the hotel.
That same playfulness, that same joy, echoed through this show.
Curated as a dialogue between Fernand Léger and the Nouveaux Réalistes, Tous Léger! explores how a new wave of artists embraced colour, consumer objects, and the everyday with an almost utopian verve. In theory, it’s a heavy subject—artistic movements, post-war politics, the rise of leisure and mass production. But in practice, the exhibition feels light, energetic, and refreshingly non-academic.
A vibrant introduction to modern artists you may not yet know.
Wine, Travel & Song
Tous Léger! is the kind of exhibition that invites curiosity. It’s not a greatest-hits show. It’s a bright, playful gateway to bold names and new discoveries.
Each room bursts with colour: Yves Klein’s pure blue, Niki’s saturated rainbows, and Martial Raysse’s almost neon palette. One shimmering sculpture evoked a flock of birds; another—a perfect splash of Yves Klein blue—sat like a gemstone in the space. While most of the works were two-dimensional, there were surprises throughout.
Despite the compact space and weekend crowds, the exhibition felt generous. Many of the works dated from the 1940s through the 1980s, but their energy felt fresh—even irreverent. There were moments of kitsch, sure. A few pieces seemed lifted straight from a Eurotrash episode: ladies rolling in paint, a series of blank canvases offered as “statements.” But the overall impression was one of vibrant experimentation.
The exhibition closes with a reminder that beauty can live anywhere—in urban landscapes, in street posters, in the curves of a sculpture. Walking back through the Luxembourg Gardens afterward, their subdued greens and creamy stone facades felt even more serene in contrast.
For anyone drawn to colour, light, and a little bit of madness, Tous Léger! is well worth a stop. It’s a short, sharp shot of artistic optimism—bold without being brash, and full of unexpected delight.
And if you’ve already explored Louvre Couture, this offers the perfect counterpoint. Where that show whispers elegance in silk and silhouette, this one sings in primary colour and punch. Together, they made for a highlight of our fashionable long weekend in Paris, each capturing a different but equally vivid side of the city’s creative spirit.
From March 19 to July 20, 2025
Musée du Luxembourg, Paris
Open daily from 10:30 to 19:00 (Mondays until 22:00)
