The Monuments of Paris

“An enthralling view into a family’s mysteries.”
—Publisher’s Weekly on The Monuments of Paris

In conjunction with the exhibition Matisse: Beyond Color, author Violaine Huisman discusses her new book, The Monuments of Paris (Penguin/Random House). Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2026 by Literary Hub, Huisman’s novel centers on a Frenchwoman’s efforts to come to terms with the legacy of her father and grandfather, powerful forces who left a mark on their country’s culture but whose incorrigible womanizing also left a complex mark on their wives and children. Set in the twentieth-century France that shaped Matisse’s outlook on life and art, the book’s investigation of family and wartime reflect how the arts were intertwined with the stories of the people who lived through it.

The conversation will be moderated by the Museum’s Director of Public Engagement & Curatorial Strategies, Jess Van Nostrand.

This event is free with Museum Admission. The book will be available for sale during the event at the Museum Shop.

About Violaine Huisman

Born in Paris and based in New York for over two decades, Violaine Huisman is a novelist, translator, and cultural curator. She previously ran the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s literary series and has organized multidisciplinary arts festivals across the city. She is now the Cultural Director of L’Alliance New York. Her debut novel, The Book of Mother (Fugitive parce que reine), was translated worldwide and received multiple awards. It was also named one of The New York Times’ Notable Books of 2021 and is currently being adapted for the screen. Her second novel, Rose Désert, was published in 2019 by Gallimard. The Monuments of Paris, to be published in April 2026, has been named a Most Anticipated Book of 2026 by Literary Hub.

Read The New York Times review.

Author photo by Laura Brunellière