Paris is all atwitter at the opening of “Masculin/Masculine: The Nude Man in Art from 1800 to the Present Day,” an enormously popular exhibit held through January 2, 2014, at the Musee d’Orsay that celebrates the nude male form in more than 200 works.
But for perhaps the best close-up peek at male-focused art in the city, visit the private ArtMenParis gallery and the small but delightful Au Bonheur du Jour gallery, where you can purchase the pieces that catch your eye (or perhaps arouse you elsewhere). ArtMenParis (64 Rue Notre-Dame de Nazareth) was founded in 2004 by Olivier Cerri, who studied at the Ecole du Louvre. His gallery has featured such artists Serge Golovach, Nermine Hammam, Piero Pompili and Gengoroh Tagame. Past exhibitions have included “Fantasmes Hard Core,” “Superheroes, Mutants, et Monstres” and “Keith Haring in Paris.”
Art gallery Au Bonheur du Jour, located just west of the Marais, shows nude and erotic works focusing on both the male and female forms, but the male-centric exhibits tend to draw the most patrons—and are heavily advertised in Paris’s gayborhood. The gallery, located at 11 Rue Chabanais, is run by the convivial and bilingual Nicole Canet, who is happy to walk you through the impressive collection and recommend pieces that fit your budget.