French artist Claire Tabouret is currently the subject of a major career retrospective at Museum Voorlinden and a high-profile solo exhibition at the Grand Palais in Paris. The latter showcases her full-sized maquettes for six new stained-glass windows commissioned for Notre-Dame Cathedral, depicting the Biblical story of Pentecost. These works, created in collaboration with the historic Atelier Simon-Marq, represent a significant shift for the artist as she translates her signature fluid, figurative painting style into the medium of translucent glass.
The project has sparked intense national debate in France, as President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to replace unscathed 19th-century windows by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc with contemporary art faced formal opposition from heritage commissions. Tabouret’s exhibition serves as a public charm offensive to justify the intervention, arguing that historic monuments must remain living spaces that dialogue with contemporary voices. The controversy highlights the ongoing tension between strict architectural preservation and the desire to leave a modern mark on world heritage sites.