L'empire du sommeil

Exhibition at the Musée Marmottan-Monet, Paris, 9 October 2025 – 1 March 2026

Sleep occupies a third of our lives, and its mystery has been explored in many fields – art and literature, music and cinema, philosophy and theology, medicine and psychiatry. Its nature is ambivalent: son of Night, it has been associated since ancient times with death (Thanatos), but also with erotic attraction (Eros). Dreams give substance to the poetic imagination of the sleeper, and sleep disorders open a door to the dark side of the psyche.

This exhibition catalogue examines the symbolic and allegorical significance of sleep, its importance in secular and sacred iconography, and the influence that scientific, philosophical and psychoanalytical research related to sleep has had on the field of art. A body of work from the 1800s to the 1920s is juxtaposed with significant works from Antiquity, the Middle Ages, the Modern Era and the Contemporary Era to highlight the permanence of certain key themes. The book includes works by some of the greatest artists, including Bellini, Dürer, Rembrandt, Füssli, Goya, Delacroix, Ingres, Courbet, Monet, Rodin, Redon, Klinger, Hodler, Munch, Picasso and Balthus.