Fountain at the Grand Palais, by Moonik

As much time as I’ve spent in Paris, and loving it as I do, putting together a tour of the city  should be du gâteau (a piece of cake). Right? A resounding non! Perhaps because this city has meant (and still means) so much to me, I am at pains to do it justice. Never mind that I’ve been showing Paris to people for years, planning doesn’t seem to get easier.

Having said that, the logistics have been arranged, and ARTS in PARIS is pleased to announce its Biennale des Antiquaires Tour, September 16 – 24, 2012.

Since 1962, the Biennale des Antiquaires has been a favored destination for collectors of art and lovers of beauty. This year’s edition of the Biennale presents more than 180 exhibitors (nearly double the number in 2010), a mise en scène directed by Karl Lagerfeld, and yet another reason to be in Paris at one of the most beautiful times of the year.

It sounds as if this year’s Biennale is going to be better than ever. We’d love to meet you in Paris.

For regular updates, like ARTS in PARIS on Facebook.

Now, I’m off to plan a visit to Atlanta for my favorite Frenchman. This makes planning a tour of Paris look very easy!

Jane del Monte, bridging the distance

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PARIS — Surely that mannequin is meant to be Kate Moss — even if she is on all fours in a cage and with the head of a panther? And those bonbon creations, displayed in pleated paper as in a classic chocolate box, are indisputably handbags. (Read on…)

Jane del Monte, bridging the distance

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]]> http://muguetdeparis.com/2012/03/27/times-reviews-lv-mj-exhibition/feed/ 0 Jane del Monte http://muguetdeparis.com/2012/01/30/enjoy-paris-and-share/ http://muguetdeparis.com/2012/01/30/enjoy-paris-and-share/#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:33:48 +0000 Jane del Monte http://muguetdeparis.com/?p=2523 ]]>

Paris Scene

As you probably know, I’m always on board when it comes to mixing sustainable tourism with a plain, old-fashioned good time.

To kick off the new year, ARTS in PARIS offers you the opportunity to combine a visit to Paris with support for a very worthy cause. On any tour booked between now and April 1st, 10% of the tour fee will be donated to Doctors Without Borders/Médecins San Frontières (MSF). Click on the link to learn more about the wonderful humanitarian work of this extraordinary organization.

This offer covers prepackaged tours, as well as custom-designed personalized tours, and applies to all tours booked before April 1 and begun before December 31, 2012.

The next scheduled tour is Impressions of Paris, from May 3 – 11, 2012. For details on this tour, Schedule of Activities and Pricing Information, visit the site by clicking the link.

If spring travel is not on your agenda, learn about the Biennale des Antiquaires tour in September 2012.

I hope we can meet this year in Paris.

Jane del Monte, bridging the distance

(Photo by Michele Melick)

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Eiffel Tower, Paris

As we enter the New Year, I would like to thank everyone who has had a part in the development of ARTS in PARIS. Starting a new business can be daunting, not to mention often lonely, and so, to everyone who has contributed their moral support, resources, suggestions, and to all of those who have recounted their experiences in Paris and in France, my infinite gratitude.

Beginning a new project  is a leap of faith, requiring a belief in something that doesn’t exist at that time. I am happy to report that ARTS in PARIS is alive and well, and continues to grow and evolve. I expect and hope it will always be a work in progress.

We are looking forward to some interesting experiences this year. In May, our Impressions of Paris tour will take place, an opportunity to experience this city that inspired the Impressionnists at one of the most beautiful seasons of the year.

Then, in September, one of my favorite arts events takes place — The Biennale des Antiquaires. I love this salon, and I want to share it. Two years ago, due to a conflict, I missed it — and vowed NEVER to do so again. I will be in Paris this year and invite you to join me. The schedule for the tour will be published soon.

Although predicting the future is not a skill I claim, I can promise you a year filled with interesting happenings in the world of French art, both in France and elsewhere. Paris being Paris, there is a lot going on, as usual.

To learn of events that take place during the year, be sure to consult “Save the Date.” on this site. I try to highlight the most interesting offerings, but it’s impossible not to miss a few. I would welcome your input, so if you hear of anything going on, please let me know.

So, having just scratched the surface of what to expect this year, I wish all of you a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.

Jane del Monte, bridging the distance

(Photo Credit: viZZZual.com)

∞

AND DON’T FORGET, IF YOU ARE IN FRANCE,  TONIGHT (1 OCTOBER) IS LA NUIT BLANCHE.

Paris

Through 11 December 2011 — “Animal”, Musée des Arts Décoratifs (Métro Tuileries or Palais-Royal), www.lesartsdecoratifs.fr

Through 9 January 2012 — “Edvard Munch: l’Oeil moderne” (Edvard Munch: the Modern Eye), Centre Pompidou (Métro Rambuteau, Hôtel de Ville or Châtelet), www.centrepompidou.fr

Through 9 January 2012 — “Fra Angelico et les Maîtres de la lumiere” (Fra Angelico and the Masters of Light), Musée Jacquemart-André (Métro Miromesnil or Saint-Philippe-du-Roule), www.musee-jacquemart-andré.com

Through 9 January 2012, “La Cité Interdite au Louvre – Empereurs de Chine et Rois de France” (The Forbidden Cityat the Louvre – Emperors of China and Kings of France), Musée du Louvre (Métro Palais Royal), www.louvre.fr

Through 15 January 2012 — “Beauté, Morale et Volupté dans l’Angleterre d’Oscar Wilde” (Beauty, Morality and Sensual Pleasure in the England of Oscar Wilde), Musée d’Orsay (Métro Solférino), www.musee-orsay.fr

Through September 2012– “Poèmes en cristal: De Gallé à Lalique, la verrerie Art Nouveau du Petit Palais” (Poems in Crystal: From Gallé to Lalique, the Art Nouveau Glass of the Petit Palais), Petit Palais, www.petitpalais.paris.fr

5 October 2011 – 16 January 2012 — “Matisse, Cézanne, Picasso…l’Aventure des Stein” (Matisse, Cezanne, Picasso…The Adventure of the Steins), Grand Palais (Métro Champs-Elysées-Clémenceau), www.rmn.fr

12 October 2011 – 26 February 2012 — “Cezanne et Paris” (Cezanne and Paris), Musée du Luxembourg (Métro Luxembourg), www.museeduluxembourg.fr

20 – 23 October 2012 — Foire International de l’Art Contemporain (FIAC), (International Contemporary Art Fair), various venues around Paris

13 March – 1 July 2012 — ”Degas et le nu” (Degas and the Nude), Musée d’Orsay, Métro Solferino, www.musee-orsay.fr

Versailles

Through 9 October 2011 — “Le XVIIIe au goût du jour” (18th Century Back in Fashion), Château de Versailles, www.chateauversailles.fr

Through 1 November 2011 — “Venet à Versailles” (Venet at Versailles), Château de Versailles, www.chateauversailles.fr

Through 11 December 2011 — “Le château de Versailles raconte le Mobilier national” (The Palace of Versailles and the Mobilier National), Château de Versailles, www.chateauversailles.fr

Lyon

Through 2 January 2012 — “Ainsi soit-il: Collection Antoine de Galbert” (So Be It: The Antoine de Galbert Collection), Musée des Beaux Arts de Lyon, www.mba-lyon.fr

Giverny

Through 31 October 2011 — “La Collection Clark à Giverny, de Manet à Renoir” (The Clark Collection at Giverny, from Manet to Renoir), Musée des Impressionnismes Giverny, www.mdig.fr

Aix-en-Provence

Through 6 November 2011 (exhibition prolonged) – “L’Exemple de Cézanne” (The Example of Cézanne), Musée Granet, www.museegranet-aixenprovence.fr

London

Through 31 December 2011 — “An 18th-Century Enigma: Paul de Lamerie and the Maynard Master,” Victoria and Albert Museum, www.vam.ac.uk

15 February – 15 July 2012 — “Picasso and Britain,” Tate Britain, www.tate.org.uk

Liverpool

Through 16 October 2011 — “René Magritte: The Pleasure Principle,” Tate Liverpool, www.tate.org.uk/liverpool/exhibitions/renemagritte

22 June – 28 October 2012 – “Turner Monet Twombly,” Tate Liverpool, www.tate.org.uk/liverpool/exhibitions/TurnerMonetTwombly

Venice

Through 27 November 2011 — “54. Exposizione Internazionale d’Arte Fare Mondi” (54th International Art Exhibition), www.labiennale.org

Madrid

9 October 2012 – 13 January 2013 — “Voyage to the Exotic: Homage to Gauguin,” Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, www.museothyssen.org

Moscow

Through 12 January 2012 — “Paul Poiret, King of Fashion,” The Kremlin Museum, The Assumption Belfry and One-Pillar Chamber of the Patriarch’s Palace, www.kreml.ru

Montreal

Through 2 October 2011 — “The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier,” Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, www.mbam.qc.ca

New York

4 October 2011 – 8 January 2012 – “Picasso’s Drawings, 1890 – 1921: Reinventing Tradition,” The Frick Collection, www.frick.org

13 October 2011 to 2 January 2012 — “Stieglitz and His Artists, Matisse to O’Keeffe” Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Tisch Galleries, 2nd Floor, www.metmuseum.org

4 May – 23 September 2012 — “Edouard Vuillard: A Painter and His Muses, 1890 – 1940,” The Jewish Museum, www.thejewishmuseum.org

Permanent Collection: Wrightsman Galleries for French Decorative Arts, Metropolitan Museum of Art, www.metmuseum.org

Philadelphia

Permanent Collection, Rodin Museum, Benjamin Franklin Parkway at 22nd Street, www.rodinmuseum.org

Washington, D.C.

Through October 2011 — “Nikki de Saint Phalle,” National Museum of Women in the Arts’ New York Avenue Sculpture Project, www.nmwa.org

Through 8 July 2012 — “A New Look: Samuel F.B. Morse’s Gallery of the Louvre,” National Gallery of Art, West Building Main Floor. See www.nga.org

5 February – 6 May 2012 — “Picasso’s Drawings, 1890-1921: Reinventing Tradition,” 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

Richmond

Through 2 October 2011 — “Fabergé Revealed,” Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, www.VMFA.museum

Charlotte

Through 31 December 2011 — “Chanel: Designs for the Modern Woman,” The Mint Museum Randolph, www.mintmuseum.org

Atlanta

15 October 2011 – 29 April 2012 — “Picasso to Warhol,” High Museum of Art, www.high.org

Dallas

Through 11 December 2011 — “Afterlife: The Story of Henri Matisse’s ‘Ivy in Flower’,” Dallas Museum of Art, www.dm-art.org

13 November 2011 – 12 February 2012 — “The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier,” Dallas Museum of Art, www.dm-art.org

Fort Worth

11 March – 17 June 2012 — “The Age of Impressionism: Great French Paintings from the Clark,” Kimbell Art Museum, www.kimbellart.org

San Francisco

Through 9 October 2011 — “Picasso: Masterpieces from the Musée National Picasso, Paris,” de Young Fine Arts Museum, www.deyoungmuseum.org

Through 31 December 2011 — “The Mourners: Tomb Sculpture from the Court of Burgundy,” Legion of Honor Museum, www.famsf.org/legion

24 March – 19 August 2012 — “The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier,” de Young Fine Arts Museum, www.deyoungmuseum.org

22 October 2011 – 22 January 2012 — “Pissaro’s People” Legion of Honor Museum, www.famsf.org/legion

Los Angeles

2 November 2011 – 16 January 2012 — “Modern Antiquity: Picasso, De Chirico, Léger and Picabia in the Presence of the Antique,” The Getty Villa Malibu, www.getty.edu/museum

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Employing René Lalique’s lost wax technique and a special formula of copper and cobalt oxides to produce the color, — developed by Klein and known as IKB, or International Klein Blue — the sculpture is shown below. Read more…

Yves Klein, Winged Victory of Samothrace, Lalique

And what does this have to do with ARTS IN PARIS? Just that I’ve been immersed in the new site, with little time to blog here. I will do better. In the meantime, let me say the response to the site has been gratifying, So far this month, we’ve tripled the visits of last month. If you haven’t already, I hope you’ll visit and give me your feedback. And of course, if you see a trip in your future, I’d like nothing better than to share Paris with you.

Jane del Monte, bridging the distance

∞

© 2011 Jane del Monte

Robert Delaunay, La Tour Eiffel

It’s hard to believe  nearly a year has passed since I last posted here. I’m sure many of you had given me up for lost, and justifiably so. There have been many changes in the intervening months and those preceding them, the most significant being a transatlantic move. It is a long way from Paris to Atlanta, Georgia, but I’m doing everything I can to bridge the distance.

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you what an adjustment this has been and I still sometimes have the feeling that I am in a foreign country. That’s how much I felt at home in France. However, I think this is a good career move, as well as being where a lot of my family is located, and I will continue to spend a lot of time in France.

I have been busy with several projects, the most important of which (at least in terms of time expended) is ARTS IN PARIS Tours, personalized luxury tours of Paris and and other parts of France. Luxury, in this case, has less to do with cost than with the quality of the offerings. As many of you know, ARTS IN PARIS began in Paris, where I accompanied art lovers who were interested in purchasing French art and antiques. We have expanded beyond that, and we hope to continue to expand, with such future destinations as London and Brussels, as well as the French countryside.

One of the reasons for my absence is that I have been developing my website — always a work in progress. I’m sure I don’t have to tell most of you how time-consuming this can be. Someone asked me once how long it would take to set up a blog or a site. I told them, truthfully, they could be posting in an hour or two. On the other hand, choosing a color for the background could take weeks! The is especially true for those of us in esthetically-oriented fields. I hope you will take the time to look at it and, if you would, give me your feedback. It is located at www.parisartstravel.com.

I think you will find that this blog remains essentially the same. Its primary focus will be, as always, French decorative arts and culture. However, reflecting an increased amount of time spent in the United States, I will be exploring, whenever possible, the French presence here. I hope my fellow francophiles will share with me what they know on that subject. “Save the Date” has always been one of the most popular features, and it will be back the first of August to help you keep abreast of exhibitions in France or those taking place elsewhere that related to French art.

Jane del Monte, bridging the distance between Paris and Atlanta

© 2011 Jane 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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“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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And so began the collection that has been described as the most sumptuous in all of Europe, valued at €300 million, although some would say the estimation is low. Beginning on Monday evening, the collection will be dispersed, the hammer in the hands of the able François de Ricqles, vice president of Christie’s France. Since Monday, more than 150 workers have been engaged in transforming the Grand Palais into a setting worthy of what has been called “the sale of the century.”

The couple seemed to have a knack for acquiring things before they were à la mode. The bird is a 19th century work from the Ivory Coast, acquired at a time when African art was less known and less prized than today. They amassed an extraordinary collection of Art Déco furniture long before it enjoyed the demand of today. The list of artists represented in the collection reads like a litany of virtuosi of the fine and decorative arts — painters such as Goya, Géricault, Ingres, Léger, Mondrian, Matisse and Picasso, and decorative artists like Rateau, Dunand and Jean-Michel Frank.

There is controversy, as well. The Chinese government has demanded the return of two Qing Dynasty bronze animal heads — a rabbit and a rat — that they claim were looted from the Imperial Summer Palace near Beijing. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Cultural property specialists feel the claim is weak, given that looting took place nearly 150 years ago.

A public exhibition will be held this weekend and Monday morning, followed by the sale beginning 23 February at 7:00 p.m. For those of you who aon’t be in Paris, check out Sale Highlights online at www.christies.com.

And the bird sculpture? M. Bergé will be keeping it.

Yves Saint Laurent in front of Les Coucous by Henri Matisse

Théodore Géricault, "Portrait of Alfred and Elisabeth Dedreux"

Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, "Portrait of the Countess de La Rue"

Pablo Picasso, "Musical Instruments on a Pedestal Table"

Renaissance bronzes, with Dunand vase in the background

Photo Credits: 1 – 4, Le Figaro; 5, Point de Vue

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

© 2009 Jan del Monte

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