10 Must-See Art Exhibitions on View in 2026

1. Leonora Carrington

Musée du Luxembourg, Paris, France, February 18–July 19, 2026

This landmark exhibition, the first devoted exclusively to Leonora Carrington’s work in Italy and France, presents the Surrealist pioneer as a “Vitruvian Woman”: a total artist embodying harmony, transformation, and innovation. The show, which offers a fresh take on Carrington’s work, traces her central influences—from her early encounters with classical Italian art in Florence and her fascination with the Renaissance, to her Celtic and post-Victorian roots, as well as her formative involvement with Surrealism in France.

Bringing together paintings, drawings, writings, and rarely seen works, the retrospective reveals the full scope of Carrington’s visionary imagination and enduring relevance. Through a carefully structured chronological and thematic approach, it highlights her exploration of myth, metamorphosis, feminism, and the natural world, positioning her as one of the most original and influential voices of 20th-century art.

2. Caravaggio | Revolution: Baroque Masterpieces from the Roberto Longhi Foundation

Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC, USA, April 25–October 25, 2026

The Mint Museum is set to host its first-ever Caravaggio exhibition, showcasing over 30 paintings from the collection of the great art historian Roberto Longhi, including the Baroque master’s iconic Boy Bitten by a Lizard. Caravaggio | Revolution: Baroque Masterpieces from the Roberto Longhi Foundation promises to be a milestone event, offering Charlotte residents and visitors a rare opportunity to experience an extensive collection of works by the celebrated Italian master.

Spanning key moments of Caravaggio’s career, the exhibition highlights the artist’s dramatic use of light and shadow, his uncompromising realism, and the revolutionary approach that reshaped European painting. By placing these masterpieces in dialogue with their historical context, the show reveals why Caravaggio’s influence continues to resonate through centuries of art history.

3. Frida: The Making of an Icon

Tate Modern, London, UK, June 25, 2026–January 3, 2027

Step into the life and legacy of Frida Kahlo: revolutionary artist and global icon. Frida: The Making of an Icon invites visitors to explore the many facets of this trailblazing artist’s life—the devoted wife, the intellectual, the pioneering modern artist, and the passionate political activist.

Featuring more than 130 works, including some of Kahlo’s most celebrated paintings, the exhibition is enriched by documents, photographs, and personal memorabilia drawn from her archives. Together, these materials offer an intimate look at how Kahlo carefully constructed her public image while channeling personal pain, cultural identity, and political conviction into her art. By situating her work within the broader contexts of modernism, Mexican identity, and 20th-century politics, this standout event reveals how Kahlo became not only a revolutionary artist, but also an enduring global icon whose influence continues to reverberate today.

4. Matisse, 1941–1954

Grand Palais, Paris, France, March 24–July 26, 2026

During the final years of his career, pioneering Fauvist Henri Matisse reinvented himself through the medium of the cut-out gouache. Confined to bed and unable to paint in the traditional way, Matisse reimagined his practice, cutting directly into color to forge a bold new language of form, movement, and light.

This major retrospective—the first of its kind in France—retraces the artist’s journey from 1941 to 1954 by bringing together more than 230 works from the Centre Pompidou collection and international loans. A vibrant atmosphere of pure color and striking simplicity illuminates the French master’s creative renewal despite his physical limitations. An immersive experience, this exhibition unveils a rich, multidisciplinary practice in which painting, drawing, illustration, textiles, and stained glass converge in a dynamic equilibrium.

5. Raphael: Sublime Poetry

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, NY, USA, March 29–June 28, 2026

Raphael: Sublime Poetry offers a rare opportunity to experience the genius of one of history’s most celebrated artists. This richly layered exhibition traces the arc of Raphael’s life and career, from his beginnings in Urbino and his prolific period in Florence—where he rose to stand alongside Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo—to his final decade at the papal court in Rome.

With particular attention to his portrayal of women—from his groundbreaking use of nude female models to his tender, iconic depictions of the Madonna and Child—this retrospective illuminates the depth, sensitivity, and innovation that define his artistic oeuvre. The first comprehensive exhibition dedicated to Raphael in the United States brings together more than 200 masterpieces and rarely seen treasures, showcasing the extraordinary creativity that helped shape the course of art history.

6. 61st Venice Biennale

Venice, Italy, May 9–November 22, 2026

A flagship international contemporary art event held every two years in Venice, Italy, is set to reopen its doors in 2026. The 61st Venice Biennale will run from May 9 to November 22, 2026, and will feature dozens of artists from national pavilions and the central curated exhibition directed by visionary curator Koyo Kouoh. The curatorial theme, In Minor Keys, invites visitors to tune in to the emotional, sensory, and affective minor keys of human experience that often go unheard amid the noise of contemporary life. Each country has elected artists to present works that thoughtfully respond to the Biennale’s central theme.

This year’s artists include: Abbas Akhavan (Canada), known for his multidisciplinary installation and spatial politics, Yto Barrada (France), a celebrated Franco-Moroccan artist whose work spans photography, film, and sculpture, Kingsley Ng and Angel Hui (Hong Kong), artists representing Hong Kong with contrasting approaches, and Sara Flores (Peru), whose work engages otherworldly themes in the Peruvian pavilion.

7. Renoir and Love. Happy Modernity (1865–1885)

Musée d’Orsay, Paris, France, March 17–July 19, 2026

This spring, the Musée d’Orsay invites visitors to rediscover Pierre-Auguste Renoir through the radiant lens of love in Renoir and Love. Happy Modernity (1865–1885), on view from March 17 to July 19, 2026. Far from the stereotype of a painter of pretty scenes, Renoir emerges here as a profound observer of human connection. The exhibition focuses on his breakthrough years between 1865 and 1885, when he developed a luminous, fluid style that captured relationships and social interaction against the backdrop of modern life in theaters, gardens, and boulevards.

Celebrated masterpieces such as Dance at the Moulin de la Galette and Luncheon of the Boating Party are presented as vibrant scenes of shared joy and conviviality, reinvigorating our view of social life in 19th-century Paris. Organized in collaboration with the National Gallery in London and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, this major exhibition offers new perspectives on one of Impressionism’s most influential figures.

8. Fear No Power: Women Imagining Otherwise

National Gallery Singapore, Singapore, until November 15, 2026

At the National Gallery Singapore, Fear No Power: Women Imagining Otherwise brings together a powerful constellation of voices reshaping how art engages with systems of authority and possibility. This significant exhibition charts the interconnected lives and practices of five Southeast Asian artists—Nirmala Dutt (Malaysia), Imelda Cajipe Endaya (Philippines), Amanda Heng (Singapore), Phaptawan Suwannakudt (Thailand), and Dolorosa Sinaga (Indonesia)—whose work defies imposed categories and resists any singular or fixed definition of feminism.

Spanning the 1960s to the 2010s—a period shaped by decolonization, Cold War tensions, and profound social transformations—this event celebrates their multifaceted contributions, not only as artists, but also as educators, writers, and community advocates. Five fearless women. One shared vision of art and empowerment.

9. UNBOUND: Art, Blackness & the Universe

Museum of the African Diaspora, San Francisco, CA, USA, until August 16, 2026

This groundbreaking exhibition examines the convergence of Blackness and the cosmos, inviting viewers to consider the two through a lens of boundless wonder. Inspired by curator Key Jo Lee’s essay “Gesturing Toward Infinitude: Painting Blue/Black Cosmologies,” UNBOUND poses a provocative question: what if Blackness were approached with the same curiosity and reverence we extend to the universe itself?

Drawing on ideas from physics, which reveal the constant exchange of matter between bodies, objects, and environments, this immersive exhibition emphasizes interconnection as a fundamental condition of existence. Across painting, sculpture, and installation, 17 artists imagine new constellations of thought—worlds where metaphysics and cosmology intersect, and scientific inquiry intertwines with ancestral myth and spiritual knowledge. UNBOUND exemplifies San Francisco’s Museum of the African Diaspora’s mission to place contemporary artists of the African diaspora at the center of global cultural discourse, expanding how we see both art and the universe it inhabits.

10. Rothko in Florence

Palazzo Strozzi, Florence, Italy, March 14–July 26, 2026

One of Italy’s most expansive retrospectives dedicated to Mark Rothko, Rothko in Florence examines the enduring influence of Renaissance art on the oeuvre of the master of American modernism. Curated by Christopher Rothko, the artist’s son, and Elena Geuna, this compelling exhibition traces the full scope of Rothko’s career, from his early figurative works to the monumental color field paintings that came to define his mature style. Featuring more than 70 works drawn from major international institutions and private collections, the selection offers a comprehensive view of his artistic evolution set against the backdrop of a passion first awakened during his 1950 visit to Florence.

Envisioned as a dialogue across the city, the retrospective extends beyond the stately galleries of Palazzo Strozzi, unfolding across two carefully chosen satellite venues: Museo Nazionale di San Marco, where Rothko’s work is presented in conversation with the frescoes of Fra Angelico, and the vestibule of the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana—designed by Michelangelo—further showcasing the deep connection between Rothko and Florence.