When Dali and Delacroix Painted Nature... Paris Opens Its Secret Vaults After 400 Years

The National Museum of Natural History in Paris, one of the world’s most prestigious scientific institutions, is preparing to celebrate its 400th anniversary with a major artistic and scientific exhibition titled “Artists in the Museum.” The exhibition opens on September 23 at the Grand Gallery of Evolution and will run until March 7 next year.

The exhibition features more than 300 artworks and artifacts by over 120 artists, spread across an area of 880 square meters. It includes paintings by Eugène Delacroix and Salvador Dalí, alongside famous bear sculptures by sculptor François Pompon, photographs by Robert Doisneau, and historical botanical illustrations by Pierre-Joseph Redouté.

Rather than simply displaying artworks alongside scientific discoveries, the exhibition seeks to narrate the organic relationship between art and science since the 17th century, when artists accompanied scientists on exploration voyages and worked within laboratories to depict plants, animals, and minerals. The exhibition also explores the role of comics and literature in conveying scientific knowledge to the public, as well as how contemporary artists engage with issues such as climate change and biodiversity loss.