An aesthetic and artistic trend born before the First World War, Art Deco flourished in the 1920s, coinciding with the emergence of a new way of life.
Speed, movement and freedom were now the watchwords of society,
breaking with the previous decades. At its height, Art Deco was neither
theorized nor formalized. The name itself did not appear until the 1960s
and 1970s, when it was applied to a wide variety of creations.
Protean and elusive, Art Deco is ultimately a set of forms, motifs, materials, and techniques used by designers in the 1920s and 1930s, a movement capable of embodying the Roaring Twenties. Modern in their forms, the furniture and objects used the most precious techniques of craftsmanship and were reserved for the wealthiest, without concern for their application to the greater number.
The exhibition aims to celebrate this movement in all its facets and contradictions. In a succession of viewpoints, it will cover the multiple incarnations of Art Deco, from its beginnings in the 1910s to its contemporary reinterpretations, including its rediscovery in 1971. The many masterpieces of the museum’s Art Deco collection, the largest in the world, will be on display, such as Groult’s shagreen chiffonnier, the elegant pieces by Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann and the library desk from the French Embassy by Pierre Chareau, reinstalled for this anniversary. The frenetic pace and thirst for freedom of the Roaring Twenties will be the leitmotif of this exhibition, where contemporary creation inspired by this movement will find its rightful place.
In the second half of 2026, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs will unveil its new rooms dedicated to Art Deco within the permanent collections.