Muguet de Paris

“Rendez-vous in December for a Maxi Best of Mona Lisa menu,” announces Louvre pour Tous, an Internet journal aimed at museum visitors. They qualify the plan by McDonald’s to open its newest French outlet (number 1,135) in the Musée du Louvre as a “lack of taste,” citing the “tsunami” of global media reaction.

The most indignant criticism comes from the foreign press, and it is the anglophone press whose knickers are in a collective twist. The New York Daily News calls it “a move guaranteed to wipe the famous smile off Mona Lisa’s mug.”

Across the Channel, the British press sees the move as a defeat in the battle between high gastronomy and standardized (to be polite) food. Not that they don’t appreciate the irony of the fast-food giant doing so well in the country where cuisine has attained art form status. London’s Telegraph calls it “a move which has managed to get both France’s art lovers and gastronomes choking on their Gitanes.”

For those who cringe at the specter of super-sized tourists munching Big Macs before the Venus de Milo, relax. McDo, as it is known here, will be joining similar restaurants in the food court of the Carrousel du Louvre, the commercial space beneath the Pyramide. Described in its publicity as “a successful meeting between culture, tourism, history and shopping,” the plan was to have stores that sold high-ticket items or, at least, those related to culture, and many remain. However, McDonald’s might be seen as a logical addition to Virgin Megastore, Tie Rack and Hertz. Can Jenny Craig be far behind?

The chain is seen in France and around the world as a symbol of American globalization. French deputy José Bové gained prominence in 1999 when he and a band of militants bulldozed a McDonald’s construction site in a two-pronged protest against American sanctions on certain European products and against malbouffe or junk food.

Yet France is the chain’s largest market outside the U.S., and the outlet on avenue des Champs-Elysées is the most profitable in the world. McDonald’s chief executive Jim Skinner attributes that success to the fact that “we are perceived as a French enterprise.”  One has to wonder where he gets his information.

I’d love to have your thoughts on this.

(Photo Credit: La Tribune)

Jan del Monte,’ blogging from the rue du Cherche-Midi, Paris, France

 © 2009 Jan del Monte

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Twenty-three years after its opening, the Musée d’Orsay, former railroad station turned museum, will be undergoing substantial renovation. Beginning on 1 December and continuing through March of 2011, one-third of the surface of the museum will be involved, at a cost of 11.4 million euros.

The Musée d’Orsay has the largest collection of Impressionists in the world, and the projected alterations will make it possible to exhibit a considerably larger number of them. The architect in charge of the project is Jean-Michel Wilmotte, whose other projects include the galerie Richelieu of the Louvre and the Collège des Bernardins. 

In addition to the work on the Impressionist gallery, a new pavilion will see the day, the Amont, which will provide more than 2,000 square meters of exhibition space on four levels. Plans call for the decorative arts to be housed here, as well as a new bookstore. This portion of the project is the work of Dominique Brand of l’Atelier de l’Ile.

The Café de l’Horloge, located on the last floor, will be given an Art Nouveau look by Brazlian designers Fernando and Humberto Campana.

The museum will remain open to the public during the renovations, but only the principal collections, concentrated on the ground floor, will be accessible.

(Photo Credit: Ugolin and His Sons by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, Musée d’Orsay – Wikipedia Commons)

Jan del Monte, blogging from the rue du Cherche-Midi, Paris, France

© 2009 Jan del Monte

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By no means comprehensive, just a few things that may be of interest…

Paris

Through 1 November 2009 — “Habiter Durable — Métro, Boulot, Ecolo” (To Live Sustainably — Métro, Work, Ecology), Cité de l’Architeture et du Patrimoine (Métro Trocadéro), www.citechaillot.fr

Through 6 December 2009 — “Dans l’atelier de Fragonard: Marguerite Gérard, artiste en 1789″ (In the Studio of Fragonard: Marguerite Gérard, Artist in 1789) Musée Cognacq-Jay (Métro Saint-Paul) www.cognacq-jay.paris.fr

Through 3 January 2010 — “Jean-Michel Frank,” Fondation Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent (Métro Alma-Marceau), www.fondation-pb-ysl.net.

Through 4 January 2010 — “Renoir au XXe Siècle” (Renoir in the 20th Century), Grand Palais (Métro Champs-Elysées-Clémenceau), www.rmn.fr

Through 4 January 2010 — “Tintoret, Titien, Véronèse…Rivalités à Venise” (Tintoretto, Titian, Veronese…Rivalries in Venice), Musée du Louvre (Métro Palais Royal), www.louvre.fr

Through 17 January 2010 — “Louis C. Tiffany Couleurs et lumière” (Louis C. Tiffany Colors and Light), Musée du Luxembourg (Métro Rennes or Saint-Sulpice, RER B Luxembourg), www.museeduluxembourg.fr

Through 24 January 2010 — “Madeleine Vionnet (1876-1975),” Musée de la Mode et du Textile (Métro Tuileries or Palais-Royal)

Through 24 May 2010 — “elles @centrepompidou: Femmes Artistes dans les Collections du Centre Pompidou” (elles @centrepompidou: Women Artists in the Collections of the Pompidou Center), Centre (Métro Rambuteau, Hôtel de Ville or Châtelet), www.centrepompidou.fr 

14 October 2009 – 25 January 2010 – “Rétrospective Soulages”, Centre Pompidou (Métro Beaubourg), www.centrepompidou.fr 

20 October 2009 – 4 January 2010 — “James Ensor,” Musée d’Orsay (Métro Solférino), www.musee-orsay.fr

22 October 2009 – 25 October 2009 — “FIAC” (International Contemporary Art Fair), Grand Palais and Cour Carré du Louvre, www.fiac.com.

23 October 2009 – 28 February 2010 — “Matisse/Rodin,” Musée Rodin (Métro Varenne), www.musee-rodin.fr

Versailles

Through 13 December 2009 — “Xavier Veilhan au Château de Versailles” (Xavier Veilhan at the Château de Versailles), Château de Versailles, www.chateauversailles.fr

Lyon

10 December 2009 – 15 February 2010 — “Collection d’Art Moderne du Musée” (Collection of Modern Art of the Museum), Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon, www.mba-lyon.fr

Pont-Aven

Through 5 October 2009 — “Maurice Denis et la Bretagne – la Leçon de Pont-Aven” (Maurice Denis et Brittany – the Lesson of Pont-Aven), Musée des Beaux-Arts de Pont-Aven

Venice

Through 22 November 2009 — “53, Exposizione Internazionale d’Arte Fare Mondi” (53rd International Art Exhibition), www.labiennale.org

Madrid

Through 10 January 2010 — “Fantin-Latour,” Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza.

New York

Through 29 November 2009 – “Watteau, Music and Theater,” Metropolitan Museum of Art, European Paintings Galleries, 2nd Floor, www.letmuseum.org.

Through 12 April 2010 — “Monet’s Water Lilies,” Museum of Modern Art, www.moma.org.

2 March 2010 – 23 May 2010 — “Lamentations for a Prince: Masterpieces of Medieval Tomb Sculpture from the Court of Burgundy,” Metropolitan Museum of Art, Medieval Sculpture Hall, www.metmuseum.org.

Washington, D.C.

Through 29 November 2009 — “Edouard Manet’s ‘Ragpicker’ from the Norton Simon Foundation,” National Gallery of Art, West Building Main Floor, Gallery 89. See www.nga.org

1 October 2009 - 31 January 2010 — “Renaissance to Revolution: French Drawings from the National Gallery, 1500 – 1800,” National Gallery of Art, West Building, Ground Floor. See www.nga.org

11 December 2009 — “Retables et Sculpture Religieuses Italiens du XIVème Siècle”, National Gallery of Art, East Building (Guided visit in French at 12:15, sponsored by Alliance Française de Washington), www.francedc.org

Permanent Collection, “Small French Paintings,” East Building, National Gallery of Art, www.nga.gov

Permanent Collection, “Matisse Cutouts,” National Gallery of Art, East Building Tower. To protect the pigments and color, viewing hours are limited. See www.nga.gov

 Baltimore

25 October 2009 – 3 January 2010  – “”Matisse as Printmaker,” Baltimore Museum of Art, www.arttbma.org.

14 February 2010 - 23 May 2010 — “Cézanne and American Modernism,” Baltimore Museum of Art, www.artbma.org.

San Francisco

19 December 2009 – 18 April 2010 — “Cartier and America,” Legion of Honor Museum, www.famsf.org/legion.

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There are hundreds (thousands?) of things to see, just a short Métro ride from Paris. Here are but a few.

Saint-Germain-en-Laye

This charming little town grew up around the château, formerly home to the kings of France and the birthplace of Louis XIV. The Château-Neuf, or new château (there was another, but Henri II found it dreary and cold) was at various times a prison (under the Revolution), a hospital, a barracks and a cavalry school before Napoléon III transformed it into the Musée National de l’Archéologie (National Museum of Archeology).  On a clear day, there is a panoramic view of Paris from the grounds.

The Musée Claude Debussy is housed in the birthplace of the composer, whose innovations marked a major step in the evolution of music. In addition to the permanent exhibition, there are concerts featuring works by Debussy and his contemporaries, as well as temporary exhibitions and workshops for students.

My personal favorite is the Musée Departmental Maurice Denis. In 1914, the painter, head of the Nabi movement, moved into the former priory, built as a hospital by Madame de Montespan, mistress to Louis XIV. The permanent collection reunites the works of the avant-garde painters of the last half of the 19th century — symbolists, Nabis, post-impressionists and members of the group of Pont-Aven. In addition to the works of Maurice Denis, there are those of painters such as Gauguin, Bernard, Serusier, Vuillard and Bonnard.

The chapel is not to be missed. All of the decoration — furniture, frescoes, paintings and stained glass — was realized by Denis himself.

RER Ligne A1 to Saint-Germain-en-Laye.

A Florist near the Métro station

Detail of a stained glass panel, Musée Maurice Denis

On the grounds, Musée Maurice Denis

Stained glass in the chapel

A sculpture in the garden

The atelier where Maurice Denis painted

Neuilly-sur-Seine and the Jardins de Bagatelle

The first mention of  this thriving community to the west of Paris appeared in the 13th century. Neilly was a small port where the monks of the Abbey of Saint-Denis ran a ferry until the 17th century when Henri IV, having suffered an accident crossing the Seine, ordered constuction of a toll bridge.

In the 18th century, the word bagatelle designated a frivolous thing – a trinket or a trifle — as well as a place of romantic encounters.  The Comte d’Artois, brother of Louix XVI, constructed his in the bois de Boulogne  in response to a bet with his sister-in-law, Marie-Antoinette. She challenged him that he could not construct the little château within two months. He won the wager (with the aid of more than 900 workers).

Although the bois de Boulogne is officially part of Paris, the most practical way to reach the folie d’Artois is by way of the Métro station at Neuilly (Métro Ligne 1, Pont de Neuilly).

Downtown Neuilly-sur-Seine

Autumn foliage in the Jardins de Bagatelle

The folie d'Artois

Inside a pagoda, Jardins de Bagatelle

A grotto, crowned by a pagoda in wrought iron

Behind the gardener's cottage, Jardins de Bagatelle

Parc de Sceaux

Getting off the RER at Bourg-la-Reine, a little town which has retained its village-like atmosphere, it is a short walk to Parc de Sceaux, a wonderful way to have a day in the country without going too far from Paris.

The original château was built for Colbert, right hand to Louis XIV, who wanted a residence close to Paris and not far from Versailles. He hired André le Notre to design a jardin à la française. The property passed through many hands before being confiscated during the Revolution, until finally it was bought by a businessman who tore it down for scrap. The present château was constructed between 1858 and 1862 in the style Louis XIII, and the parc was meticulously reconstituted in the traces of the original by Le Notre.

 Do not miss the Orangerie and the Pavilion d’Aurore, with its ceiling painted by Charles Le Brun, two original structures that remain.

RER Ligne B to Bourg-la-Reine or Parc de Sceaux.

An interesting example of architecture at Bourg-la-Reine

This friendly fellow wanted to follow us home for dinner.

Just Married, à la française

Detail of the Château, Parc de Sceaux

Inside the Château

Cascading waters, Parc de Sceaux

All photos, Jan del Monte

Jan del Monte, blogging from the rue du Cherche-Midi, Paris, France

© 2009 Jan del Monte

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Of course you’ve seen the windmills in Paris, but have you been to the vineyard? A vineyard in Paris? Indeed there is. In fact, there are over 150 vineyards in the greater Paris area, most of them educational and community projects (the European Union restricts the creation of new vineyards) that do not sell their wine through the usual outlets. The Clos Montmartre is the only one operating within the city limits.



Poster for this year's Fête des Vendanges

In Roman times, much of Montmartre was covered with grapevines, and a temple to the wine god Bacchus sat at the top of the Butte. From the 12th century the nuns of the Benedictine Abbey operated a winepress, the only one in all of Paris. Wine production continued even after the Abbey (like many properties belonging to the Church) was destroyed during the Revolution.

Montmartre was outside of the city limits of Paris at that time, and the wine produced was sold inside the city gates, while  the cabarets around Montmartre served a red of significantly lower quality known as a piquette. The development of railroads during the 19th century made it possible to transport wine from other regions, and the demand for the local product decreased.

In the early 20th century, the vines were devastated by a combination of factors — phylloxera, mildew and urbanization – effectively putting an end to most of the vineyards around Paris. In 1921, a group of local artists and residents protested a real estate development project. The terrain was protected, and in 1933 the vines were replanted.  

The Clos Montmartre covers a surface of 1556 square meters, maintained by a specialized team from Parcs et Jardins de la Ville de Paris. Roughly 27 varietals are grown, with Gamay (75%) and Pinot Noir (20%) holding the lead; the remainder are Seibel, Merlot, Sauvignon bland, Gewurtztraminer and Riesling. The names of each vintage reflect the history of Montmartre: Toulouse-Lautrec, Dalida, Moulin-Rouge, and Lapin-Agile are but a few examples. The yearly production is less than 2,000 bottles, which will be sold at auction. Bidding can reach astronomical heights, with all profits going to benefit local charities



Commanderie du Clos Montmartre, the local wine brotherhood

Autumn is in the air, and the grape harvest began last week at the Clos Monmartre.  Harvest ends with the Fête de Vendange, a harvest festival first held in 1934. This year’s guest of honor will be Charles Aznavour. There are music and merriment, balls, fireworks, exhibitions, not to mention food and, of course, wine. There is a parade that includes the confréries bachiques (the wine brotherhoods) and the chevaliers du tastevin (winetasters) in traditional costume, and the wine auction.

The Fête des vendanges will take place this year from from 7 to 11 October. The parade begins at 3:00 p.m. at the Mairie of the 18th arrondissement and ends at place des Abbesses.

(Photo Credits: (1) Mairie du 18ème Arrondissement; (2) Montmartre-Guide)


 Jan del Monte, blogging from the rue du Cherche-Midi, Paris, France

© 2009 Jan del Monte

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Willy Ronis, one of the giants of French photography in the 20th century, died on Saturday in Paris at the age of 99.  He is credited, along with Robert Doisenau and Henri Cartier-Bresson, with inventing humanist photography.

The son of a Ukrainian photographer and a Lithuanian pianist who fled the pogroms and settled in Paris, Ronis was born at the foot of Montmartre.

His first passion was for music and drawing, but he later turned to photography. Willy Ronis saw the poetry in Parisian daily life, and with his camera captured the scenes that form a part of our collective memory.

(Photo, Willy Ronis)

 Jan del Monte, blogging from the rue du Cherche-Midi, Paris, France

© 2009 Jan del Monte

∞

Madeleine Vionnet was a feminist before the hour. In 1896, she left her husband and her native land to cross the Channel on the pretext of learning English. Upon arrival, she was hired by a London fashion house. Returning to Paris, she perfected her technique at such prestigious houses as that of the Callot sisters and Jacques Doucet before opening her own on rue de Rivoli, then on avenue Montaigne.

Her designs were nothing less than revolutionary in the years before the Great War. She created gowns of a rare architectural purity based on geometric forms, employing the bias cut (used before in linings, but now for the entire garment) and draping, inspired by ancient Greece. She personally created each model on a small doll of the type used by art students. Women were liberated from corsets and stays and allowed to move freely while revealing their bodies. Scandalous! Her models walked down the runway barelegged and wearing sandals.

Vionnet is recognized as a pioneer in the world of fashion, but who knew about her social innovations? Her workers enjoyed benefits that were unheard of at the time:  the traditional stools of the seamstresses were replaced by comfortable chairs, and there were a canteen, a daycare center, and a doctor and dentist on site. More unusual still, she introduced paid holidays and maternity leave, even before it became the law of the land.

For Jean Pierre Gaultier, “Madeleine Vionnet symbolizes the apogee of Haute Couture.” Balenciaga took apart her creations so as to understand their construction. John Galliano cites her as “my principal influence,” and Tom Ford calls her (along with Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent) ”one of the three great couturiers of the last century.”  Christian Dior, Valentino, Vivienne Westwood, Azzedine Alaia – her influence is indisputable on a list of designers too numerous to mention.

Although Vionnet is revered in her profession, her work has been largely forgotten by the general public. The ongoing retrospective at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs is sure to change that. Vionnet liked nothing better than to transmit her knowledge, Upon her death in 1975 at the age of 99, she bequeathed to the museum her archives, containing 73 volumes of copyrights, 13,000 photographs, 725 patterns and 127 articles of clothing.

The museum is to be congratulated on the brilliant choice of designer Andrée Putman for the mise en scène. I suspect that Vionnet would have been pleased, one iconoclast creating a setting to display the work of another. Putman’s trademark sobriety in the decor of the rooms — subdued lighting, black walls, simple vitrines – provides an effective background to set off Vionnet’s designs. 

If I were allowed one complaint, it would be this. At the beginning of the exhibition, the dresses are posed in front of mirrors, a capital idea that afforded a three-dimensonal view. However, about halfway through, the practice was abandoned, and we were forced to rely on the reflection in the glass of the vitrine to try and discern the details. One is left to wonder what rationale prompted this decision, as many of Vionnet’s creations are even more interesting when viewed from behind.

The lighting in the room (not to mention the guards, who seem to be getting more and more picky about this) prevented taking photos. However, if this whets your appetite, a visit to the site of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs may satisfy it. There you will find a slide show (Diaporama) featuring 35 of her works.

The exhibition continues through 31 January 2010. Musée des Arts Décoratifs, 107 rue de Rivoli (Métro Tuileries or Palais-Royal).

(Photo Credits: (1) Wikipedia Commons, (2) Harper’s Bazaar, (3) and (4) Madame Figaro.

Jan del Monte, blogging from the rue du Cherche-Midi, Paris, France

© 2009 Jan del Monte

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Even before its official opening, the Salon du Collectionneur got off to a rather inauspicious start for one Paris antiquaire. On Wednesday, two ancient Chinese bronze statuettes, with an estimated value of 500,000€, were stolen from the stand of Christian Deydier, whose gallery, specializing in Asian art, is located on rue du Seine.

The theft occurred during setup of the stand on Wednesday, two days before the official opening. Little is known about the circumstances of the crime, but it appears that the thief (or thieves) acted within a two-hour time frame.

During last night’s pre-opening activities, a guard had been installed at the stand. One can expect heightened security during the course of the Salon.

The Brigade de repression de banditisme is in charge of the investigation. There has been no comment so far from M. Deydier. I’ll keep you posted as information becomes available.

The Salon opened to the public today and will continue through 20 September.

Jan del Monte, blogging from the rue du Cherche-Midi, Paris, France

© 2009 Jan del Monte

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As Paris resumes its normal pace, the question isn’t what to do but how to choose among the many offerings. Invitations begin to arrive, and last week I was delighted to find one to an event  I wouldn’t miss, the Salon du Collectionneur.

To kick off the rentrée, beginning on Friday, 125 antiquaires and art galleries will assemble beneath the nave of  the Grand Palais for the fourth edition of the Salon. Created in 2003, the Salon is held every two years, alternating with the Biennale des Antiquaires. Both are under the auspices of the Syndicat National des Antiquaires, an association of gallery owners and experts,

Although the scope of exhibitors is less global than at the Biennale, with most coming from France and other European countries, the variety of offerings is no less so. Whatever your passion, from archeology to contemporary art, you are sure to see something  of interest. From the jewels of a lady at the court of Louis XIV to skeletons of prehistoric reptiles, passing by an 18th century commode on the way to a chair in polyurethane by Gaetano Pesci or a painting by Zao Wou-ki, the quality is assured. All exhibitors and their works are vetted by the organizing committee of the Syndicat  before being invited to participate.

For those who experience a coup de foudre (love at first sight), the works exhibited are for sale. As for logistics, the dealer selling a piece will handle the customs requirements.

From 11 – 20 September 2009 from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m, with Nocturnes on Tuesday the 15th and Thursday the 17th until 10:00 p.m., at the Grand Palais (Métro Champs-Elysées-Clémenceau), www.sdcfrance.eu.

Jan del Monte, blogging from the rue du Cherche-Midi, Paris, France

© 2009 Jan del Monte

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