PARIS.- After nearly three years of meticulous conservation, one of the great masterpieces of French Renaissance painting has returned to public view. From November 26, 2025, the Musée du Louvre is presenting an exceptional display of The Moulins Triptych by Jean Hey, marking the first time the work has been shown in Paris since 1937 and offering audiences an unprecedented opportunity to encounter it in its newly restored state.

Painted around 1498 for the collegiate church of Moulins—today’s cathedral—the monumental triptych is the most important surviving work by Jean Hey, an artist trained in Flanders who became the leading painter at the Bourbon court in the late fifteenth century. Long known as the “Master of Moulins,” Hey is now recognized as a central figure in the transition between late medieval painting and the emerging Renaissance in France.

The restoration, carried out between 2022 and 2025 under the supervision of the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs (DRAC) Auvergne–Rhône-Alpes, was conducted at the Centre for Research and Restoration of the Museums of France (C2RMF) in Paris. Teams from the Arcanes and Tournillon workshops addressed both the painted surfaces and the wooden supports, while scientists and art historians undertook extensive technical analysis. This was the first comprehensive restoration of the triptych since 1879.

The results are striking. Layers of discolored varnish and old restorations have been removed, revealing the brilliance of Jean Hey’s original palette—deep blues, radiant reds, and shimmering golds that had long been dulled by time. The treatment has also brought new clarity to the artist’s handling of light, materials, and space, underscoring his mastery of Flemish techniques combined with an emerging French sensibility.

Beyond its visual impact, the restoration has yielded important discoveries. Technical studies revealed the complex gilding techniques used in the central panel, evidence of later alterations to the wings, and traces of Jean Hey’s working process, including areas intentionally left unfinished. These findings have prompted renewed scholarly interest in the artist’s experimental approach at the turn of the sixteenth century.

At the Louvre, the triptych is installed near the museum’s galleries of French painting, allowing visitors to situate it within a broader artistic context. Its presence in Paris also makes possible a rare reunion with other works by Jean Hey held in the capital, including paintings and a drawing in the Louvre’s collection and the Virgin Bacri at the Musée de Cluny. Together, these works offer a fuller picture of an artist whose influence was long underestimated.

The triptych itself is both a devotional image and a political statement. On the wings, Duke Pierre II of Bourbon and Duchess Anne of France are shown kneeling in prayer, accompanied by their patron saints. Their daughter Suzanne appears beside her mother, underscoring dynastic continuity at a moment of political uncertainty following the death of King Charles VIII. At the center, the Virgin and Child appear in a radiant vision, surrounded by angels, combining spiritual intensity with courtly magnificence.

Public programs accompanying the presentation include lectures and a scholarly publication detailing the restoration and its findings. Together, they highlight the significance of The Moulins Triptych not only as a work of art, but as a key document of French cultural, political, and religious life around 1500.

With this exceptional presentation, the Louvre offers visitors a rare encounter with a rediscovered masterpiece—one that now shines with a clarity and power unseen for generations.