Bettencourt Prize 2026 names its four winners

Reported by Le Journal des Arts, the announcement places these names within a prize that highlights careers and craft expertise. This year’s selection brings together an individual creator, two other individual winners and a network of excellence, pointing to the range of practices the prize chooses to honour.

For artists, and for readers who care about painting and drawing, the interest lies in what such recognition says about making. It reminds us that an artwork is not only an image at the end of the process, but also a matter of touch, precision and sustained attention to line, material and form.

The inclusion of Edgar Jayet alongside Louis Monier and Sébastien Desplat draws attention to the role of work itself in an artwork, whether in design, execution or transmission. The Réseau Excellence EPV also points to workshops, techniques and production chains that make a finished piece possible.