Behind the scenes of conservation and restoration
with the Ville de Paris
With around a hundred places of worship, 50,000 works of art and nearly 1,000 statues in public spaces, the Ville de Paris holds an exceptional heritage, which it maintains and preserves throughout the year.
As part of the Fine Arts Paris fair, the Ville de Paris is offering visitors a behind-the-scenes look at conservation and restoration in all their forms.
Live restoration at Fine Arts Paris
A 19th-century plaster statue depicting Jean-Jacques Rousseau, sculpted by Raoul Larche (1860–1912), will be restored live throughout the fair.
This work will also shine a light on Paris’s public statuary, now accessible via a digital map that is regularly updated online.
Raoul Larche (1860–1912)
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Plaster, 1885
Live restoration
Display of recently restored works
Two 17th-century tondi, Ecce Homo and Mater Dolorosa, by Claude François, known as Frère Luc (1614–1685), will also be on display. Recently restored, they adorn the church of Saint-Merry (4th arrondissement), in the heart of the Marais district, and bear witness to the importance of devotional commissions during the Grand Siècle.
Finally, an early 17th-century painted stained-glass panel (enamel on glass) illustrating the Jewish Passover and the Christian Passover, from the church of Saint-Étienne-du-Mont (5th arrondissement), will be presented ahead of its reinstallation, following its recent restoration.
It offers a striking appreciation of the finesse of the craftsmanship involved in both creation and restoration.
Frère Luc (1614–1685)
Ecce Homo and Mater Dolorosa
Oil on canvas
Restored in 2026
Stained glass, early 17th century
The Jewish Passover and the Christian Passover,
church of Saint-Étienne-du-Mont (Paris 5th)
Restored in 2026, backlit presentation
