In Paris, an exhibition at the Fondation Louis Vuitton is reuniting the dispersed collection of Gustave Fayet, an influential early 20th-century French art collector and designer known for his support of post-impressionist and avant-garde artists. Fayet’s collection, originally assembled in the years around 1905, included significant works by Paul Gauguin, Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cézanne, Henri Matisse, and others. After Fayet’s death in 1925, his collection was dispersed and his name faded from art history until now.
The exhibition, titled "Gustave Fayet: Collector — Designer," traces Fayet’s artistic journey from his provincial origins in Béziers to the forefront of Paris’s evolving art scene. It features a range of rarely seen masterpieces and lesser-known pieces that Fayet acquired, offering an extensive overview of his tastes and influence.
Among the highlights is Van Gogh’s “Autoportrait à l’oreille bandée” (Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear), notable for its vivid portrayal of the artist in a fur-lined coat, set against a fiery red background with swirling smoke. This striking piece, held by the Niarchos collection, has not been exhibited publicly in France since 1937. Cézanne’s works such as “Bosquet au Jas de Bouffan” and Matisse’s “Les tapis rouges” are also part of the display, unfolding across multiple galleries.
Fayet’s deep commitment to Gauguin is a central theme. He owned around 200 of the artist’s works, ranging from rustic Breton scenes to exotic Tahitian compositions. The exhibition showcases a mini-retrospective including “Le Joueur de bombarde sur la Falaise,” “Les Lavandières,” and “Trois Tahitiens,” revealing Fayet’s early championing of Gauguin’s bold explorations of color and symbolism. His patronage provided vital support to Gauguin in his final years, and Fayet was instrumental in increasing the artist’s market value, witnessing dramatic price increases in a brief period.
Apart from the core post-impressionist trio, the show also presents pieces by other contemporaries such as Maurice Denis, Henri-Edmond Cross, Pierre Bonnard, Odilon Redon, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Paul Signac. Redon’s monumental murals “Day” and “Night,” originally part of Fayet’s decoration of his abbey in Languedoc, are included, reflecting Fayet’s interest in creating immersive environments that combined visual art with music and interior design.
The exhibition is more than a collection of paintings; it reconstructs Fayet’s artistic vision through detailed settings. Beginning with a recreation of his Béziers office, visitors encounter objects and artworks that contextualize the collector’s personal and aesthetic world. This includes Fayet’s own decorative creations and a room featuring abstract rug designs inspired by key artists in his collection.
Fayet’s approach to collecting was marked by both discernment and enthusiasm. Though he initially focused on post-impressionism and its immediate successors, he also amassed works by emerging artists and was involved in the decorative arts. He often bought works in batches and was known for a shrewd yet passionate engagement with the art market at a time when state patronage gave way to private collecting.
The show also touches on Fayet’s personal life, including his relocation to Paris after failing to convert Béziers into an avant-garde art center and the impact of his son Gabriel’s death in 1909. Fayet continued collecting until his own sudden death in 1925, shortly after acquiring Jacqueline Marval’s “Odalisques au Miroir,” an assertive proto-art deco piece that marked his final acquisition.
Running through early 2027, the exhibition seeks to restore Gustave Fayet’s place in art history as a visionary collector and designer whose passion for groundbreaking art helped shape the modern French art market.