rare works from the Louvre

Until April 6, 2025, head to the Hôtel Départemental du Var for a captivating dive into art and history… The unique exhibition “Gardens and Palaces of the Orient” reveals a range of rare works, specially from the Louvre Museum, but also from Cannes, Nice or Marseille. An event in partnership with France 3 Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur.

It is the fascinating history of oriental gardens and the sumptuous palaces that surround them that you will discover through this exhibition… 75% of the works come from the Louvre and for the most part, from the department of Islamic arts. The remaining 25% comes from museums in our territory, such as the Alcazar library in Marseille, the Museum of Asian Arts in Nice, or the Museum of World Explorers in Cannes, allowing us to show as many aspects as possible Oriental gardens.

We wanted to show the collaboration between a national museum and the cultural institutions of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region.

Farhad Kamezi

Chief curator of the exhibition

The exhibition shows a festive aspect about the Orient and the harmony it has with nature. Unpublished, it combines for the first time the notions of palaces and gardens which have coexisted in the Orient since Antiquity and whose architecture is inseparable. Between symbols and myths, the idea is to show how the palaces open onto the gardens, how the gardens enter the palaces, in particular through decorations such as floral carpets. Thanks to extraordinary tableware or even musical instruments, the idea is also to show the use of the garden, often dedicated to celebrations, for the reception of numerous guests.

From the first steps into the exhibition, the visitor is invited to an immersive exploration of the mythical gardens of the Orient. From the ancient Near East to Mughal India, via the palace gardens of medieval Spain, the exhibition reveals how these domesticated natural spaces were at the same time symbols of power, places of contemplation and sources of poetic inspiration.

Three sequences punctuate the journey. The first explores the ancient symbols of gardens, as they were perceived in civilizations such as those of ancient Egypt or Mesopotamia. They are then considered “miracles” because they were about creating extraordinary gardens in an arid landscape. The second highlights the inseparable link between gardens and the architecture of palaces, particularly in Iran, the Ottoman Empire and even in India with the sumptuous Taj Mahal. Finally, a dedicated space offers contemporary reflection on the role of gardens in poetry, literature and even current geopolitical issues.

Among the key pieces, we discover treasures from the Department of Islamic Arts of the Louvre Museum. These works, rarely loaned, offer a fascinating perspective on different eras and regions. For example, the peacock dish from Iznik, dating from the 16th century, illustrates the excellence of Ottoman ceramics, while a covering panel from Isfahan transports visitors to the splendor of the palaces of Iran. These art objects bear witness to the refinement of oriental cultures and their fascination with domesticated nature.

The exhibition is not limited to a historical homage.

The garden was the perfect excuse to show this other aspect of the Orient, which today, unfortunately with current events, is shown under its dark side. However, we did not want to make it a sort of fable, a fairy tale.

Farhad Kazemi

Chief curator of the exhibition

It was therefore a question of anchoring the so-called historical exhibition of the Oriental Gardens with today’s world. Thus, two contemporary creations signed by the artist Stéphane Thidet question the environmental issues and geopolitical transformations linked to gardens in today’s world. These works dialogue with ancient pieces and show this illusion that man can master nature.

Oriental Gardens and Palaces Exhibition
From December 14, 2024 to April 6, 2025
Var Exhibition Departmental Hotel
1 boulevard Maréchal Foch in Draguignan
Open Monday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
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