Et Encore, la Rentrée
The first summer I spent in Paris, I found it a little unnerving as my neighbors began to desert the quartier in August. By the 15th of the month, I was swearing that I would not be spending another August alone in this ghost town. Well, of course, another August came, and another, and so on until this year, my fourth summer in Paris.
Now, like many a Parisian, I have come to love the city in August, to cherish the calm and solitude. There is the opportunity to explore things old and new without the crowds, perhaps, by taking a road less traveled, to discover something for the first time that has always been there. Fewer people mean fewer cars and, thus, less pollution, not a small thing for someone who has recently developed asthma. It is as if my vacation came to me, and there will be ample opportunity to travel in the next few months if I feel so inclined.
So here we are in September and the rentrée is upon us, that time of year when people resume their usual activities. Stores and restaurants have reopened, and, for most, it’s back to work or back to school. The public schools begin classes on Thursday, most private schools the following week. It’s very agreeable to see familiar faces.
Pierre-Auguste Renoir, La Baigneuse aux Cheveux Longs
This rentrée brings new exhibitions too numerous to mention and too good to miss if you happen to be in the area. In and around Paris, a few highlights are the Salon du Collectionneur, which is held at the Grand Palais on alternate years from the Biennale. Also at the Grand Palais will be a Renoir exhibition, and at the Centre Pompidou a retrospective of Pierre Soulages. At the cozy little Musée Cognacq-Jay, an exhibition of Fragonard and his sister-in-law Marguerite Gérard, who collaborated with him, largely unrecognizedat the time, is being heralded as a must-see.
J-H Fragonard, M. Gérard, Le Chat Angora
In another life, I had a stained glass studio for about 10 years. Louis Comfort Tiffany is one of the gods of that medium, so I am eagerly anticipating the exhibition of nearly 160 of his works to be held at the Musée du Luxembourg.
After last year’s controversial Jeff Koons exhibition at the Château de Versailles, on 13 September the domaine will welcome installations by Xavier Veilhan. For those who believe that the major art movement of the last half of the 20th century is marketing, Koons is indeed a major force. Judging from the photographs I’ve seen, the upcoming exhibition seems considerably more thought out and intelligent than the former. Chacun à son goût.
For more information on exhibitions, be sure to check Save the Date. As usual, I will post it at the beginning of the month, and additional entries will appear during the month as information becomes available.
Finally, to sweeten the rentrée, Fauchon (26, place de la Madeleine, 75008 Paris) proposes a “Week-end Eclair.” During the past five years, their pastry chef, Christophe Adam, has pushed this French classic beyond all limits – sweet or savory (Would you believe a smoked salmon and pea éclair?), in colors that often have nothing to do with nature (black and white, inspired by le smoking, or tuxedo; blue-white-red for the 14th of July; the mysterious gaze of the Mona Lisa). This weekend, indulge your sweet tooth (at €5 apiece). The latest creation is the “chien chaud caramel framboise” (caramel raspberry hot dog), liberally inspired in appearance, if not in taste, by the ballpark frank.
An embarrassment of choices chez Fauchon
Bonne rentrée à tous.
(Photo credits: La Baigneuse and Le Chat Angora, Wikipedia Commons; Fauchon Eclairs, L’Express)
Jan del Monte, blogging from the rue du Cherche-Midi, Paris, France
© 2009 Jan del Monte
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