While Paris boasts numerous museums and art centers dedicated to photography, the French capital is also home to an impressive collection of galleries that celebrate this artistic medium. November marks photography month in the city, coinciding with Paris Photo's return to the Grand Palais under its magnificent glass roof, along with a multitude of events and exhibitions taking over the capital.
Whether you're passionate about historical photography, documentary work, or searching for new talents to collect, Paris offers exceptional venues where visitors can admire and potentially purchase photographic treasures. From legendary institutions to emerging spaces, these eight outstanding galleries represent the best of what the city has to offer for photography enthusiasts.
Magnum Photos stands as both a legendary agency and gallery that continues to make history. Founded in 1947 by Robert Capa and Henri Cartier-Bresson, among others, this mythical photo agency still brings together the biggest names in photography today. Since 2021, the Paris gallery has established itself in the vibrant 11th arrondissement in eastern Paris, housed in a superb industrial-style space at 68 Rue Léon Frot that is worth visiting for its architecture alone. The gallery regularly hosts exhibitions featuring legendary photographers from the Magnum collective.
Polka Gallery, located at 12 Rue Saint-Gilles in the Marais district, represents a family affair in photography. Opened in 2007 by siblings Adélie de Ipanema and Édouard Genestar, this gallery has established itself as an essential address in the area. The gallery champions both great names in photography history like Joel Meyerowitz, Steve McCurry, and Jacques Henri Lartigue, as well as promising emerging talents such as Éloïse Labarbe-Lafon and Édouard Elias. Their unwavering commitment to photography extends beyond exhibitions to include an eponymous magazine and a beautiful bookstore filled with photography books.
Les Douches la Galerie earned its unusual name from originally being located in former municipal bathhouses, an atypical venue that helped forge the legend of this gallery inaugurated in 2006. Now relocated to 54 Rue Chapon in the 3rd arrondissement, the gallery continues to highlight the work of contemporary and historical photographers including Berenice Abbott, Arlene Gottfried, Ernst Haas, and Vivian Maier, serving as the exclusive representative of several estates in France.
Galerie Rouge is impossible to miss with its flamboyant vermillion storefront, a true institution located at 3 Rue du Pont Louis-Philippe in the heart of the Marais since 1975. Founded by Agathe Gaillard, who passed away in June 2025, this essential address has largely contributed to the recognition of photography in the art market. The gallery walls feature legendary names like Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Édouard Boubat, and Jean-Philippe Charbonnier, alongside contemporary talents including Luc Choquer, Sergey Neamoscou, and Sheila Metzner.
Fisheye Gallery Paris, located at 2 Rue de l'Hôpital Saint-Louis near the Saint-Martin canal, has been championing emerging talents from the international scene since 2016 with a pronounced taste for eclecticism. Animated by the pioneering spirit of the eponymous magazine, the gallery represents diverse artists such as Charlotte Abramow, Delphine Diallo, Théo Gosselin, and Maud Chalard, while maintaining a bold programming that emphasizes experimentation and new approaches to the photographic medium.
Galerie Clémentine de la Féronnière serves as a gem on Île Saint-Louis, representing an impressive cohort of artists including the immense James Barnor, the colorful Martin Parr, and Lee Shulman. Located at 51 Rue Saint-Louis en l'Île, visitors appreciate both the quality of its exhibitions and the unique space it occupies in the heart of Île Saint-Louis, nestled in the peaceful courtyard of a building classified as a historical monument. The venue includes a superb bookstore where visitors can purchase books published by the gallery.
Bigaignon defines itself as a "contemporary photosensitive art gallery" located at 18 Rue du Bourg Tibourg in the heart of the Marais. Its demanding programming honors experimental and conceptual photography while allowing detours into minimal art and Light and Space movements. The gallery features a majestic exhibition space topped with a beautiful glass roof, complemented by La Réserve, an intimate studio where visitors can rediscover previously exhibited works, plus a Curated (Book)Store presenting carefully selected books by artists and exhibition curators.
Galerie Vu, founded 40 years ago as an agency, has expanded its focus in the image domain with its eponymous gallery dedicated to exhibiting and selling prints at 60 Avenue de Saxe in the 15th arrondissement. The gallery operates within the post-documentary movement while emphasizing both intimate narratives and conceptual approaches, making it a must-visit address on the Left Bank for photography enthusiasts seeking cutting-edge contemporary work.
