The Fondation Maeght will present a major exhibition dedicated to American artist Ellsworth Kelly from June 27 to November 15, 2026.
EXHIBTION "AUX BORDS DE L'EAU"
BY ELLSWORTH KELLY
From 27 June to 15 November 2026
Fondation Maeght
Entitled Ellsworth Kelly - Aux bords de l'eau, the exhibition will explore - for the first time - the presence of water in the artist's work, through an approach that is both iconographic and methodological, led by guest curator Éric de Chassey, a leading expert on the artist.
With its unprecedented thematic analysis, this exhibition promises to be an important contribution to art history, offering a fresh look at Ellsworth Kelly's work and his working methods.
A major figure in American art, Kelly (1923–2015) is renowned for his large-scale abstract works, which maintain a precise relationship with the visible world. Throughout his life he was drawn to aquatic environments — from Belle-Île and the Côte d’Azur to New York and the Caribbean — where experiences of looking at water gave rise to drawings, collages, paintings and sculptures. Rather than depicting landscapes, Kelly translated the perception of water itself: its shifting colour, light and surface.
The exhibition also recalls Kelly’s early and lasting connection with the Maeght family. After returning to France in 1948, he exhibited at Galerie Maeght in Paris and stayed regularly with the family in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, forging a friendship with Adrien Maeght that continued throughout his life.
“ In my paintings, I do not invent; my ideas come from a constant investigation of the appearance of things.”, Ellsworth Kelly.
BY ELLSWORTH KELLY
From 27 June to 15 November 2026
Fondation Maeght
Entitled Ellsworth Kelly - Aux bords de l'eau, the exhibition will explore - for the first time - the presence of water in the artist's work, through an approach that is both iconographic and methodological, led by guest curator Éric de Chassey, a leading expert on the artist.
With its unprecedented thematic analysis, this exhibition promises to be an important contribution to art history, offering a fresh look at Ellsworth Kelly's work and his working methods.
A major figure in American art, Kelly (1923–2015) is renowned for his large-scale abstract works, which maintain a precise relationship with the visible world. Throughout his life he was drawn to aquatic environments — from Belle-Île and the Côte d’Azur to New York and the Caribbean — where experiences of looking at water gave rise to drawings, collages, paintings and sculptures. Rather than depicting landscapes, Kelly translated the perception of water itself: its shifting colour, light and surface.
The exhibition also recalls Kelly’s early and lasting connection with the Maeght family. After returning to France in 1948, he exhibited at Galerie Maeght in Paris and stayed regularly with the family in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, forging a friendship with Adrien Maeght that continued throughout his life.
“ In my paintings, I do not invent; my ideas come from a constant investigation of the appearance of things.”, Ellsworth Kelly.
Rates
Full price: €18.
Reduced price: €14.
Children under 16: free.
Reduced price: €14.
Children under 16: free.
Opening times
From 27 June 2026 until 15 November 2026
From 27 June 2026 until 15 November 2026
Monday
10:00 - 18:00
Tuesday
10:00 - 18:00
Wednesday
10:00 - 18:00
Thursday
10:00 - 18:00
Friday
10:00 - 18:00
Saturday
10:00 - 18:00
Sunday
10:00 - 18:00
The Foundation is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in July and August).
