Since Louis Vuitton’s temporary flagship on East 57th street in Manhattan opened in November of 2024, it’s become a staple for city dwellers and visitors alike. The retail treasure trove is equipped with the latest handbags, men’s and women’s wear, and a bijoux monogram station that shares space with a chocolate shop from pastry chef Maxime Frédéric. There’s even an expansive branded cafe and library, ideal for afternoon tea. With all these amenities, plus world-class contemporary art by the likes of Chris Martin and Todd Eberle, the “pop-up” store has become the place to spend a leisurely afternoon in the heart of midtown Manhattan—all while the original flagship, undergoing construction, lies hidden by a facade of grey luggage, just across the street.
This fall, there’s even more reason to stay awhile. From now through November 16, the store is acting as the temporary home for two paintings by the 19th-century French painter, Gustave Caillebotte. Both the Young Man At His Window and Boating Party are on loan from the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles and the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, in collaboration with the renowned Paris museum, Fondation Louis Vuitton.
Paris, Musée d’Orsay, acquired in 2022 thanks to LVMH; Los Angeles, J. Paul Getty Museum/Louis Vuitton
Espace Louis Vuitton New York, the exhibition space, lies at the top of the boutique and is only accessible to the public by appointment. The two pieces of art are tastefully displayed in a small room marked by muted, grey-blue walls and warm wood floors—the perfect backdrop to appreciate the color within the pieces and their magnificent golden frames.
Caillebotte, who died at the age of 45, was a contemporary among greats like Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Alfred Sisley, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. But unlike most Impressionists, he preferred to paint men.
Los Angeles, J. Paul Getty Museum/Louis Vuitton
In Young Man At His Window, the viewer’s eye is drawn beyond the solitary male figure—Caillebotte’s brother, René—to a bustling Boulevard Malesherbes in Haussmann-renovated Paris. René, however, is perched comfortably indoors, in the family apartment. The Boating Party, on the other hand, features an athletic rower in smart clothing, perched front and center. His eyes are turned toward the water, perhaps to his oar, or some unknown action. Both works, with their vivid colors and characters, immerse the viewer in the bourgeois pleasures and perspectives of the 19th century. As a New Yorker viewing these works for the first time, I can attest that seeing them in an environment that contrasts the formalities of a museum is extraordinary.
Louis Vuitton is continuing to display and develop various cultural programming across the globe. In Paris, at the LV Dream shop, there’s the exhibit Louis Vuitton Art Deco. Here, there are eight-themed rooms filled with 300 objects and archival materials highlighting 100 years of the artistic style and movement. At the Espace Louis Vuitton München, the works of German photographer Wolfgang Tillmans will be on display through March 14, 2026. And in Tokyo, Andy Warhol — Serial Portraits will run through February 15, 2026.
