Paris

5 November – 15 November 2009 — “Salon Antiquités Brocante,” Place de La Bastille (Métro Bastille)

6 November 2009 – 7 March 2010 — “La Splendeur des Camondo” (The Splendor of the Camondos), Musée d’Art et d’Histoire du Judaïsme ( MétroRambuteau or Hotel de Ville), www.mahj.org.

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 4 January 2010 — “James Ensor,” Musée d’Orsay (Métro Solférino), www.musee-orsay.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 28 February 2010 — “A la Table des Présidents” (At the Table of the Presidents), Métro Concorde, www.maxims-musee-artnouveau.com.

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.

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

Through 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.

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.

Through 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

Through 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.

∞

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

∞

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.

 ∞ 

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

∞

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

∞ 

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

∞

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

∞

Paris

11 - 20 September 2009 — “Salon du Collectionneur,” Grand Palais (Métro Champs-Elysées-Clémenceau), www.sdcfrance.eu

11 September – 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

Throush 15 September 2009 — Valladon Utrillo, Pinacothèque de Paris (Métro Madeleine), www.pinacotheque.fr 

16 September 2009 – 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

17 September 2009 – 4 January 2010 — “Tintoret, Titien, Véronèse…Rivalités à Venise” (Tintoretto, Titian, Veronese…Rivalries in Venice), Musée du Louvre (Métro Palais Royal), www.louvre.fr

23 September 2009 – 4 January 2010 — “Renoir au XXe Siècle” (Renoir in the 20th Century), Grand Palais (Métro Champs-Elysées-Clémenceau), www.rmn.fr

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

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

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

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 

Versailles

13 September – 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

Evian

Through 20 September 2009 – “Rodin, Les Arts Décoratifs” (Rodin, The Decorative Arts), Palais Lumière, quai Albert-Besson

Venice

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

Madrid

Through 20 September 2009 — Matisse: 1917 – 1941, Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza

29 September 2009 – 10 January 2010 — Fantin-Latour, Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza

Washington, D.C.

Through 7 September 2009 — “Edouard Manet’s ‘Ragpicker’ from the Norton Simon Foundation,” National Gallery of Art, West Building Main Floor, Gallery 89. See www.nga.org

25 September 2009 — “Différents Points de Vue en Art Contemporain” (Different Points of View in Contemporary Art), National Gallery of Art, East Building (Guided visit at 12:15, sponsored by the Alliance Française de Washington), www.francedc.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

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

Atlanta

Through 13 September 2009 — “Louvre Atlanta: The Louvre and the Masterpiece,” High Museum. For more information, click here.

∞ 

Paris

Through 10 August 2009 — “Kandinsky — Absolut, Abstrakt” (Kandinsky — Absolute, Abstract), Centre Pompidou (Métro Beaubourg), www.centrepompidou.fr 

Through 31 August 2009 — “Gustave Eiffel — Le Magicien du Fer” (Gustave Eiffel — The Magician of Iron), Hôtel de Ville (Métro Hôtel de Ville), www.paris.fr

Through 31 August 2009 — “Le Louvre Pendant la Seconde Guerre Mondiale — Regards Photographiques (1939 – 1947)” (The Louvre During the Second World War — A Photographic Look (1939 – 1947)), Musée du Louvre (Métro Palais Royal), www.louvre.fr

Throush 15 September 2009 — Valladon Utrillo, Pinacothèque de Paris (Métro Madeleine), www.pinacotheque.fr 

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 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

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

Evian

Through 20 September 2009 – “Rodin, Les Arts Décoratifs” (Rodin, The Decorative Arts), Palais Lumière, quai Albert-Besson

Venice

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

Madrid

Through 20 September 2009 — Matisse: 1917 – 1941, Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza

29 September 2009 – 10 January 2010 — Fantin-Latour, Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza

Washington, D.C.

Through 7 September 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

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

Atlanta

Through 23 August 2009 — “Monet Water Lilies,” High Museum of Art; www.high.org

Through 6 September 2009 — “Louvre Atlanta: The Louvre and the Masterpiece,” High Museum. For more information, click here.

∞ 

“Pride goeth before a fall, and a haughty spirit before destruction.” Proverbs, 16:18

If only Nicolas Fouquet had heeded that admonition, we might not have today one of the most splendid monuments in all of France. For, you see, it was his château, Vaux-le-Vicomte that inspired Versailles as we know it.

Fouquet was the minister of finance and faithful to Louis XIV. His loyalty did not go unrewarded, nor did it prevent him from skimming the Treasury. That, coupled with two successive “good” marriages, allowed him to amass an impressive portfolio of real estate; the jewel was Vaux-le-Vicomte. For this property, he called upon upon a trio of brilliant stars of the epoque — Louis Le Vau, first architect of the King; the painter-decorator Charles Le Brun, who essentially controlled the arts during Louis’s reign; and André Le Nôtre, the noted landscaper. 

The work was completed in 1661. The result was a château that was innovative at the time and remains one of the finest examples of 17th century French architecture. It is surrounded by a moat and connected to the grounds by drawbridges. Nor did the grounds disappoint. Le Nôtre had created the first jardin à la française, with boxwood hedges in the form of arabesques, echoing the motif of an Oriental carpet, lagoons and canals, grottoes and fountains.

To inaugurate his property, and at the urging of the King, Fouquet hosted a grandiose celebration on 17 August 1661. The 3,000 guests (including the court of France, with the King as guest of honor) enjoyed a spectacular visit that included pieces of theatre, fireworks, and even the sight of a whale in one of the ponds. At nightfall, thousands of candles lighted their way as they discovered the interior and enjoyed a sumptuous dinner.

As the evening progressed and evidence of Fouquet’s wealth became more and more evident, the King grew increasingly annoyed. How could this upstart live in such grandeur, when the King’s palaces were in shabby disrepair? Louis wanted to arrest Fouquet on the spot, but was dissuaded by the queen mother. Two weeks later, Fouquet was siezed at Nantes, far from his Parisian supporters. After a trial, he spent the last 15 years of his life in prison.

The arrest of Nicholas Fouquet cannot be solely attributed to that evening, as the King had for some time (and not without reason) suspected him of diverting funds.

While Fouquet’s pride in his domaine was justifiable, one might argue that it was the haughty spirit of his King that led to his destruction. In the words of Voltaire, “The 17th of August at 6 o’clock in the evening, Fouquet was the King of France; at 2 o’clock in the morning, he was nothing.” There could be but one King of France.

As for Louis XIV, he engaged the trio, Le Vau, Le Brun and Le Nôtre, to undertake the renovation of Versailles. It incorporates many characteristics of Vaux-le-Vicomte, but on a much grander scale. Finally, the King had the most magnificent house in all of France.

Every Saturday night until the 10th of October (excluding the 12th of September), the château recreates its 17th-century splendor, offering visits by candlelight. More than three hours of preparation are necessary to light some 2,000 candles that illuminate the château.

 Vaux-le-Vicomte is open to visitors daily from the 14th of March until the 8th of November from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (closed on Wednesday, except in July and August). Acess by SNCF or RER ( Ligne D, Châtelet) from Paris to Melun; shuttles are available from the station in Melun to the château. Details are available (in French and in English) at www.vaux-le-vicomte.com.

(Photo credit: Direct Matin)

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

© 2009 Jan del Monte

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