The exhibition that spans ages and styles in search of the best sleeper
The Marmottan Monet Museum presents the allegory of sleep through the ages, a journey through the years, from antiquity to 1920, passing through the Middle Ages, modern times and the 19th century.e century. The exhibition allows us to realize the divergences between states of mind, scientific research and secular symbols.
Sleep awakens our curiosity, because we never see ourselves sleeping. As soothing as it is intriguing, it is a state common to all.
The theme of sleep encompasses other notions such as nightmare, dream, drowsiness, eternal sleep… It is rich in meaning and enigmas, beautiful as well as disturbing; these invisible notions are observed in the details.
This exhibition is composed of seven chapters and deals with particular representations and states.
Sweet sleep: sleep itself is so sweet and innocent that it makes us forget our sorrows. When and how is it represented? At dawn, during naptime, at night? At what moment does the body surrender to the joy of unconsciousness and for what reason?
Figures of Sleep: This theme explores the various symbols and popularized narratives surrounding biblical stories and ancient myths. What truths are symbolized by the representation of sleep? Sleep is no longer silent; it transcends the limits of its initial definition.
Hypnos and Thanatos: In Greek mythology, Night (Nyx) gave birth to Hypnos (sleep) and Thanatos (death). Artists like Monet and Hodler explored the close similarities between death and deep sleep. What details are absent in one but not the other? Who is depicted as dead, and who is simply asleep? How do we distinguish between them?
Erotic sleep: a sleeping person is most often depicted in a bed, the cradle of erotic thoughts and acts. Is sleep itself erotic? Do sleep and nudity stimulate an erotic gaze, representing a passage from childhood to adulthood?
The Doors of Dreams: Dreams were initially a gateway to prophecy, to visions of the future. Homer, through the wise Penelope, already warned us against deceptive dreams. From the 19th century onwardse In the 20th century, dreams were studied by scientists and now reveal fragments of the past that our unconscious reminds us of.
Disturbed sleep: rest structures our days, it is a given for everyone. When it is interrupted or difficult to attain, it becomes a desired luxury. The hold of the unconscious, drowsiness, and madness on this state transforms it into a curse.
Bedtime! The bed symbolizes sleep. Large or small, draped or shabby, it becomes a refuge for some, a bed of death or fertility for others. It reflects a large part of a person's intimacy, whether physical or psychological. A beautiful, large bed brings comfort, while a shabby bed is the last place one would want to surrender to their daydreams.
Sleep is not simply synonymous with silence and paralysis; on the contrary, it is often the stage for a complex state that reflects all forms of vulnerability without superficiality. It is perhaps the most natural state we can experience.
Musée Marmottan Monet
2, rue Louis-Boilly, Paris 16e
marmottan.fr/expositions/lempire-du-sommeil
Until 1er March 2026
