A Change in Canvas: From Ceiling to Coin

This year, the opulent Paris opera house Palais Garnier celebrates the 200th anniversary of the birth of its architect, Charles Garnier, as well as the 150th anniversary of the Paris Opera’s inauguration. To mark both occasions, the Monnaie de Paris has issued a collection of silver and gold coins that pay homage to the building’s history and artistry as part of the mint’s ongoing Museum Masterpieces series.

The Ceiling

The dome above the main auditorium of the Palais Garnier features two superimposed works. Early modernist Marc Chagall created the newer one in 1964 at the request of French Minister for Cultural Affairs André Malraux. Dedicated to 14 composers, the painting’s animated figures and luminous colors fulfill the artist’s universal vision, which complements the gaze of the opera’s spectators, past and present. This work has maintained its freshness and topicality for 60 years.

Beneath Chagall’s fresco is a copper painting that Garnier commissioned, Les Muses et les heures du jour et de la nuit (“The Muses and the Hours of the Day and Night”). Created by neoclassical painter Jules-Eugène Lenepveu in 1872, this masterpiece is a remarkable example of 19th-century academic art. Its scenes are rich in mythological and temporal symbols, reflecting the aesthetic and culture of the early French Third Republic.

The Coins

The Monnaie de Paris makes both of these heritage-rich pieces accessible with its ornate new releases. The obverse of these colored coins features Chagall’s fresco. The central medallion depicted on the coin is not usually visible to visitors to the Palais Garnier, as it is hidden by the large chandelier that illuminates the hall. The reverse depicts Lenepveu’s work. Around the rim on both sides is a reproduction of the moldings that adorn the theater’s ceiling. 

The piece is available as a silver proof 10 euro and 50 euro, a gold proof 50 euro, and a silver brilliant-uncirculated 250 euro. To purchase, visit the Monnaie de Paris’s website.

A version of this article appears in the December 2025 issue of The Numismatist (money.org).