Animal Beauty: from Dürer to Jeff Koons

Animals in all their shapes, sizes and forms have been a constant source of inspiration for artists throughout the centuries. Portrayed as both noble creatures and uncultured monsters, they have allowed us to define our own humanity: Thus is the basis for the ‘Animal Beauty: from Dürer to Jeff Koons’ exhibition (Beauté animale, de Dürer à Jeff Koons) in the Grand Palais this spring. This gargantuan exhibition takes you deep into the world of ‘beauty’ and the ‘beast’ covering an eclectic array of sculpture, painting, drawings and photography from the Renaissance to today. Over 130 works by behemoths such as Goya, Bonnard, Giacometti, Koons and Bourgeois are on display, with themes that include everything from Dürer’s anatomy studies and Buffon’s natural history sketches, to the Fables de la Fontaine and Darwinism.