Berthe Weill : galeriste de l'avant-garde parisienne

Exhibition at the Musée de l'Orangerie, Paris, 8 October 2025 - 26 January 2026

Berthe Weill (1865–1951) was committed to supporting artists from the beginning of the century under the slogan ‘Place aux jeunes’ (Make way for young people), which appeared on her advertising card. For forty years, from 1901 to 1941, she tirelessly presented the works of young artists at the beginning of their careers in her Parisian gallery in the Pigalle district. A pioneer in many ways, she sold the first paintings by Picasso and Matisse, organised the only exhibition of Amedeo Modigliani's work during his lifetime, championed emerging movements such as Fauvism and Cubism, and promoted the talent of numerous artists such as Suzanne Valadon and Émilie Charmy.

Yet Berthe Weill's career, which was almost forgotten for a time, has not yet been recognised among the pantheon of art dealers, which includes Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler, Paul and Léonce Rosenberg, Ambroise Vollard and Paul Guillaume.

This exhibition catalogue aims to right this injustice by examining the saga of this extraordinary gallery owner, who was truly passionate about art and never, despite the obstacles, ceased to defend ‘young painting’. Around a hundred works, including paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints and jewellery, evoke the exhibitions organised by Berthe Weill and the historical context in which they took place.