The Fondation Etrillard lends an artwork to the new exhibition at the Musée de Cluny

The Fondation Etrillard is lending a reliquary cross from its art collection to the new exhibition at the Musée de Cluny - National Museum of the Middle Ages in Paris.

Entitled ‘The Middle Ages of the 19th century : Creations and forgeries in the decorative arts’, the exhibition shows how the 19th century reinvented the Middle Ages in the precious arts, through comparisons between medieval objects and their 19th-century ‘echoes’. Indeed, after the events of the French Revolution, the 19th century cultivated a romantic reverie brimming with medieval nostalgia, and experienced a time of significant technological progress. Major collections of medieval objects were put together at this time. This century embraced and took inspiration from the Middle Ages, producing copies, pastiches, composite works and forgeries. The exhibition offers comparisons, placing certain medieval objects alongside their 19th-century "counterparts".

The reliquary cross of the Fondation Etrillard is a composite work, the result of the convergence of several eras: while its enamelled plates date from the 1200s, its base with four lions is from the 14th century and its reverse plates are probably from 16th-century Germany, the object was assembled in the 19th century to suit the tastes of collectors. This is a fine illustration of the theme of this rich and fascinating exhibition, which can be seen until 11 January 2026.

This exhibition, organised by the Grand Palais Rmn, is supported by the New York Medieval Society (NYMS), the American partner of the Fondation Etrillard. The Foundation and the NYMS were patrons of a previous exhibition at the Musée de Cluny in 2024, devoted to Arts in France under King Charles VII.