Fragonard brings 270 objects to Paris — and a wider history of scent

When a perfume house marks an anniversary, one usually expects a limited-edition bottle. Fragonard has chosen a different gesture: works of art, costumes, toiletry objects and perfume-related pieces will travel to Paris, assembled around the house’s century-long history.

‘Fragonard, 100 Years of Collections and Craft’ will be held in the salons of the Monnaie de Paris from 13 November 2026 to 10 January 2027. It is the Grasse house’s first presentation in Paris in an exhibition format: a substantial transfer of its heritage to a city where the name Fragonard is most readily associated with the painter Jean-Honoré Fragonard.

The planned display includes around 270 works and objects. Eighteenth-century paintings will appear alongside bottles, incense burners, scented vessels, vinaigrettes, grooming objects, and about two dozen costumes and fashion accessories. Scent is presented not as an isolated composition, but as part of the domestic life, gestures and material culture of its time.

The curatorial idea rests on the meeting of two histories: that of the artist Jean-Honoré Fragonard and that of the perfume house that took his name. Visitors will be able to see painting, textiles, decorative arts and scent converge within one cultural landscape, without the usual division between ‘high’ art and perfumery.

The exhibition also promises olfactory installations referring to eighteenth-century formulas, including potpourri, scented waters and vinaigrettes. A workshop introducing the craft of perfume-making is also planned.

That focus makes the exhibition interesting beyond the house’s own admirers. It invites visitors to view scent through the objects that once surrounded it: a bottle, an accessory, a dress, an image of a flower. In Paris, Fragonard is presenting not simply another chapter in its collection, but the world from which that collection emerged.

Practical visiting details, including opening hours and booking arrangements, should be confirmed with the Monnaie de Paris closer to the opening date.