Few know of Gustave Fayet (1865–1925), and yet the man quietly operated as a pioneering collector, one who championed the emergence of modern art in the 20th century. Born in the French town Béziers, Fayet learned to paint from his father and had an acute interest in the styles of Art Nouveau and Art Deco. A dual stewardship in designing and collecting emerged. Fayet acquired over 740 works; he presented Picasso in a solo exhibition and established a makeshift Gauguin museum in his home. “I see that I am in the company of masters, and that makes me happy, but also rather shy,” Gauguin wrote to Fayet in a letter. “So, after all, there are people who know how to appreciate paint.” This Paris show charts Fayet’s lifelong dedication to modern art, placing over 250 works from his collection next to 375 of his own paintings, long inaccessible. Van Gogh’s Self Portrait with Bandaged Ear returns to France for the first time since 1937. —Maggie Turner