We often see art reflecting war but a new exhibition has opened in France: The Art of Peace.
The Petit Palais in Paris is displaying famous icons of peace, with more than 200 original treaties, symbols, and rare objects, on show. Recognizable images sit side-by-side with rare memorabilia in this display of diplomacy.
Picasso’s peace dove is an emblem the world embraced, and the powerful sketch is a draw for historians. Paintings of peace talks highlight major events, such as Adolphe Roehn’s depiction of Napoleon’s meeting with Russian Tsar Alexander I in 1807.
The 1648 Treaty of Westphalia, which ended Europe’s Thirty Years’ War, is also on display. More obscure items include a gold-leaf letter from the King of Siam (Thailand) to Napoleon, following a friendship treaty signed with France.
The exhibit highlights origins of peace movements, and the achievements of peace-makers over centuries.
