Exposition

Kiki, Reine de Montparnasse

  • Exhibition of National Interest

    Designated an Exhibition of National Interest by the French Ministry of Culture, Kiki, Queen of Montparnasse offers an immersive and accessible experience for all, bringing together photographs, paintings, drawings, archival documents, and works created by Kiki herself.

    Muse to Man Ray, Mendjisky, Kisling, Foujita, and Soutine, and immortalized in the iconic photograph Le Violon d’Ingres (1924), Kiki embodied a new image of womanhood: free, daring, and liberated from social conventions.

    Discover Kiki’s universe from April 1 to December 30, 2026.

     

  • Le masque - Pablo Gargallo - Musée Goya

    Châtillon-sur-Seine, cradle of icons

    Part of the project “Châtillon-sur-Seine, cradle of icons” the exhibition “Kiki – Queen of Montparnasse” was born from a shared initiative led by the President of the Community of Municipalities of Pays Châtillonnais, Jérémie Brigand, and the museum director, Cécile Zicot.

    By honoring Kiki de Montparnasse, the museum pays tribute to an extraordinary personality: a multidisciplinary artist, muse to the greatest creators, singer, painter, writer, and a free woman who became a symbol of emancipation.

    Born in Châtillon-sur-Seine in 1901, Kiki conquered Paris and became one of the most famous faces of the Roaring Twenties. This exhibition, accessible to all audiences, now seeks to reconnect her legacy with her hometown.

  • Kiki - Maurice Mendjizky - Musée des Années 30

    D'Alice Prin ...

    Born on Ocotber 2nd in Châtillon-sur-Seine, 1901, Alice Prin, famous as "Kiki de Montparnasse", moved in Paris at 12 years old. She will decome the iconic muse of the artists of the School of Paris : Man Ray, Tsuguharu Foujita, Moïse Kisling or Maurice Mendjisky.

     

  • Soutine - Kiki de Montparnasse- Musée Villa La Fleur

    A fully-fledged artist

    Kiki de Montparnasse was more than just a muse.

    She was also a cabaret singer and dancer, writer, actress, and painter, fully immersed in the artistic ferment of 1920s Montparnasse.

    In 1927, her paintings were exhibited at the Galerie Au Sacre du Printemps, where they met with great success.

     

    In 1929, Kiki published her memoirs, entitled Souvenirs. The book was later translated into English, with a foreword by Ernest Hemingway.

  • ... to Kiki de Montparnasse

    At Montparnasse, Kiki quickly became the muse of the artists of the Ecole of Paris, a movement that championed cultural freedom and was made up largely of foreign artists.

    Among them were Chaïm Soutine, Moïse Kisling, Maurice Mendjinsky, Man Ray, Tsuguharu Foujita, Sasha Zaliouk and many others, all of whom would make Kiki their muse. 

    They immortalized her in works that have since become world-renowned, such as Man Ray’s Le Violon d’Ingres and Tsuguharu Foujita’s Nu à la toile de Jouy.

  • Fille au chapeau - Maurice Mendjisky - Collection Aldona et Wojciech Olejnik

    Exceptional loans of artworks

    Part of the Châtillon-sur-Seine, Cradle of Icons project, the exhibition reclaims Kiki de Montparnasse’s legacy in her hometown and invites visitors to rediscover a major figure in women’s emancipation and 20th-century cultural history.

    The exhibition Kiki – Queen of Montparnasse benefits from the support and trust of prestigious institutions, whose significant loans attest to the project’s scholarly and cultural significance:

    • Villa La Fleur Museum – Poland
    • Musée des Années Trente – Boulogne-Billancourt
    • Goya Museum – Castres
    • Bresse Ecomuseum
    • Cinémathèque Française
    • As well as numerous private lenders

     

    An opportunity to discover works by exceptional artists such as Man Ray, Pablo Gargallo, Tsugouharu Foujita, Moïse Kisling, Maurice Mendjisky, Zaliouk, and Kiki herself.

  • La boutique

    Discover the world of Kiki de Montparnasse in our Museum Shop!

    Extend your visit with a selection of books, gifts and souvenirs inspired by the fascinating world of Kiki de Montparnasse, including the exhibition catalogue, the graphic novel Kiki, Queen of Montparnasse by Catel and Bocquet, Souvenirs retrouvés, written by Kiki in 1938, a printed scarf, a pocket mirror, Le Violon d'Ingres and Noir et Blanche magnets, bookmarks, a Le Violon d'Ingres tote bag, the exhibition poster designed by Benoît Duvergé, postcards and 3D postcards.

    A wonderful selection of souvenirs, books and gifts to continue your exploration of Kiki de Montparnasse's captivating universe.

    Discover the full range of products inspired by the exhibition Kiki, Queen of Montparnasse on our Museum Shop page.

  • Exhibition of National Interest
  • Châtillon-sur-Seine, cradle of icons
  • D'Alice Prin ...
  • A fully-fledged artist
  • ... to Kiki de Montparnasse
  • Exceptional loans of artworks
  • La boutique

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