Muguet de Paris

Between the north end of the Pont Alexandre III and the Champs-Elysées is a little-known agricultural enterprise employing 140,000 of the most industrious workers in all of Paris. These workers have been busy as bees since they arrived here in June, not so surprising because they are bees. Two days ago marked the first harvest of honey produced in the beehives on the roof of the Grand Palais.

Beekeeper Nicolas Géant at the Grand Palais

In fact, the Parisian bees produce more efficiently (four or five times so) than those in the countryside, due in part to the biodiversity of the capital city — an important variety of flowers, as well as trees such as acacia, chestnut and lime — as opposed to that of the country, where fields dedicated to production of specific crops have greatly reduced the number of flowers.

Another factor is that pesticides and chemical fertilizers are not employed in the municipal gardens, a practice that has decimated the bee population of the countryside. The mortality rate for bees in the country is 30% to 50%, as opposed to 5% in the city.

Of an estimated nearly 300 declared hives in Paris (exclusive of the wild hives found in trees and chimneys), perhaps the most celebrated are those on the roof of the Opéra de Paris. Since 1983, the bees of the Opéra have produced a golden nectar with a price to match: 15€ for 125 grams, or 120€ the kilo, sold exclusively at the boutiques of the two Paris opera houses and by Fauchon at place de la Madeleine. Despite the elevated price, there remain only 7 jars of 600 delivered in July to the boutique of the Opéra Garnier.

You will have to wait until next year to sample the honey from the Grand Palais. Afer the encouraging result of the first year’s harvest, three new hives will be added, with an anticipated production of 500 kilos.

(Photo Credit: Stephane de Sakutin, AFP)

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

∞

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

∞

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

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.

∞ 

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

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

∞

On quiet little rue de Thorigny in the Marais  stands the Hôtel Salé, an hôtel particulier constructed between 1656 and 1659 for Pierre Aubert de Fontenay, who had gained his fortune collecting the tax on salt (whence the name, “salé,” or “salted”). Since 1985, it has housed the Musée Picasso, which contains the most comprehensive collection of the master’s works and covers all his  periods.

Yesterday morning, a museum employee, in doing his daily inventory, made a disturbing discovery. In a display case formerly occupied by a notebook of sketches and drawings by Pablo Picasso (with an estimated value of €8 million), there was nothing. Empty.

 According to police, the theft probably occurred between Monday night and Tuesday morning (the day the museum is closed to the public, although this Tuesday it was exceptionally open to residents of the neighorhood). There were no signs of a break-in, nor were alarms set off. Preliminary information indicates that the sketchbook was kept in an unlocked display case located on the first floor. 

A dispatch from the Ministry of Culture describes a small notebook, 16 x 24 centimeters (approximately 6.30 x 9.45 inches), with a red  cover bearing the inscription in gold letters, “Album,” containing 33 sketches and drawings executed by Picasso between 1917 and 1924. According to this source, the display case in question could only be opened with the aid of special tools.

The investigation is being conducted by the Brigade de la Répression de Banditisme, the arm of the Parisian police specializing in traffic and theft of works of art. Police sources characterize the security in the museum as weak,  due to current renovation work, and surveillance may also have been impeded by an immense installation of a work by the sculptor Daniel Buren.

A daring, cleverly planned crime, or one of opportunity, no less daring? At this point, it’s hard to say. I’ll keep you posted as information becomes available. 

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

© 2009 Jan del Monte

∞

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

Paris

Through 6 June 2009 — “Le Double Image — d’Arcimboldo à Dali” (The Double Image — from Arcimboldo to Dali), Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais (Métro Champs-Elysées-Clémenceau), www.grandpalais.fr

4 June 2009 – 7 June 2009 — “Affordable Art Fair Paris,” Espace de Champerret (Métro Porte de Champerret or Louise Michel), www.affordableartfair.fr

Through 28 June 2009 — “Le Siècle du Jazz” (The Century of Jazz), Musée du Quai Branly (Métro Alma-Marceau), www.quaibranly.fr

Through 13 July 2009 — “Le Grand Monde d’Andy Warhol — Les Portraits” (The Great World of Andy Warhol — the Portraits), Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais (Métro Champs-Elysees-Clémenceau), www.grandpalais.

Through 20 July 2009 — “Alexander Calder — Les Années Parisiennes” (Alexander Calder, the Parisian Years), Centre Pompidou (Métro Beaubourg), www.centrepompidou.fr

Through 26 July 2009 — “Elégance et Modernité, Le Meuble aux Manufactures de Beauvais, des Gobelins et de La Savonnerie (1908 1958)” (Elegance and Modernity, Furniture at the Manufactures des Beauvais, des Gobelins et de La Savonnerie, 1908 – 1958), Galerie des Gobelins (Métro Gobelins)

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

18 June 2009 – 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

Versailles

 Through 28 June 2009 — “Fastes de Cour et Cérémonies Royales: Le Costume de Cour en Europe 1650 – 1800″ (Luxury of the Court and Royal Ceremonies: The Court Costume in Europe 1650 – 1800), Château de Versailles, in conjunction with the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Palais Pitti in Florence, the Musée du Louvre, the Musée Galliera, the Union Centrale des Arts Décoratifs and the Archives Nationales  (RER A)

Lyon

Through 29 June 2009 — “Juliette Récamier, Muse et Mécène” (Juliette Récamier, Muse and Patron), Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon, www.mba-lyon.fr

Pont-Aven

6 June 2009 – 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

London

Through 19 July 2009 — “Baroque (1620 – 1800) — Style in the Age of Magnificence,” Victoria & Albert Museum, www.vam.ac.uk

Amsterdam

Through 7 June 2009 — “Van Gogh et les Couleurs de la Nuit” (Van Gogh and the Colors of the Night), Amsterdam Van Gogh Museum, www.vangoghmuseum.com

Venice

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

Madrid

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

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

Washington, D.C.

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 17 May 2009 — “La Grande Famille du Cirque” (A Circus Family: Picasso to Léger), Baltimore Museum of Art, www.arttbma.org

Atlanta

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

Pasadena

Through 8 June 2009 — “Les Amours de Ronsard par Matisse” (Matisse’s Amours: Illustrations of Pierre de Ronsard’s Love Poems), Norton Simon Museum, www.nortonsimon.org

∞ 

If you happen to be in Europe this month, Saturday (16 May) is the perfect time to revisit some of your favorite museums or to discover new ones. That night marks the fifth edition of “La Nuit des Musées.“ More than 30 European countries will participate in this event, under the patronage of the Conseil européen and, for the first time, of UNESCO, whose doors will also be open. There are 323 events in Ile-de-France alone, including 150 in Paris.

Many of the museums will be open until 1:00 a.m., and, in addition to access to the permanent collections and temporary exhibitions, there will be performances, readings, films and concerts, among other offerings. As further enticement, entrance to the events is free.

To read more about these events, the programme is available in French and in English at www.nuitdesmusees.culture.fr.

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

© 2009 Jan del Monte

∞

I am back in Paris after a brief but satisfying stay in Atlanta. The reason for my visit was to visit family and to welcome a new addition to the fold. Let me just say that she is magnifique, with the hands of a pianist (or perhaps a surgeon!), the legs of a ballerina, the eyes of a little fawn, and  a lovely, sweet manner all her own. It was wonderful, exciting yet restful, and just the break I needed.

Miranda in the Bois du Boulogne

One of the necessary steps before any absence from home is to arrange for someone to care for my running buddy and assistant par excellence, Miranda. After a few stressful days when I lost my original caretaker,  I found the perfect dogwalker. Her name is Michèle, and she is heaven-sent.

I am used to the gold standard for dogwalkers — my daughter, who ran a successful dog care business while attending university — so my expectations are high, and Michèle didn’t disappoint. She arrives in a minivan to pick up the dogs and, then, it’s off to play in the Bois du Boulogne. Now, this is a Frenchwoman, so I shouldn’t have been surprised to see that she was better dressed for an afternoon in the woods than many for a day at the office. She is  professional and attentive to details, and I was impressed to learn that she replaces each dog’s collar with one of her own, bearing her name and phone number, in case anyone decides to take off on his own.

She has the warm, fuzzy aspect covered, too, and it was obvious after our first meeting that Miranda loved her. She kept in touch with progress reports by e-mail while I was away, sending a photo (above) one day, a video another. Despite several hours of my best efforts, I have been unable to upload the video. Obviously, I’m not as techno-savvy as I would like to believe.

The life of a Parisian dog isn’t so rough. During my relatively quiet time in Atlanta, Miranda camped in a lovely Art Deco building behind Les Invalides, after running every day for a couple of hours in the Bois. One weekend, it was off to the beach, where she and her doggy friends frolicked on the beach at Deauville. Although reports have it that she never made it to the Casino, who can you trust these days?

When I returned home, Michèle delivered a calm, well-behaved, whippet-thin dog. Gone was my enfant terrible. I wish I could replicate whatever magic she performed. Clearly, Miranda had benefited from her spa experience, although she is showing signs of her former self. I think it’s time for a refresher course.

The day after my return, I had lunch at Café Flore with the adorable cigalechanta, whose comments you have read on the blog. It was nice to finally put a face with the name, and I think we both had a wonderful time. Suffice it to say that the wine industry in France isn’t suffering on our account.

Then, it was back to work.  As you may know, when I am not blogging here or unearthing (sometimes literally) art and antiques for a client, a part of my job that I love  is introducing people to the Paris (and its environs) I love, one they might not find on their own. I am currently developing some new tours, and I am really excited. In addition to expanding the scope of the visit to the Puces at Saint-Ouen, I am working on a couple of day trips close to Paris, as well as putting together something on a very important, often-overlooked part of the Musée d’Orsay.

So this promises to be a busy summer, both with work and with old friends who come to town. So far, everyone who has visited has had the kind of weather you always hope for when you come to Paris. The season is filled with new exhibitions and other things to do, and I’ll keep you posted on Save the Date as I learn of them. 

Here’s to a wonderful summer, and à bientôt.

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

© Jan del Monte

∞

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

Paris

Through 24 May 2009 — “Giorgio De Chirico — La fabrique des rêves” (Giorgio De Chirico — The Dream Factory), Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris (Métro Iéna), www.mam.fr.paris
 
Through 24 May 2009 — “Carte Blanche à Jasper Morrison — Take a Seat,” Musée des Arts Décoratifs (Métro Tuileries or Palais Royal), www.lesartsdecoratifs.fr
 
Through 31 May 2009 — “Oublier Rodin — La Sculpture à Paris 1905 – 1914″ (To Forget Rodin — Sculpture in Paris 1905 – 1914), Musée d’Orsay (Métro Solférino), www.musee-orsay.fr

Through 6 June 2009 — “Le Double Image — d’Arcimboldo à Dali” (The Double Image — from Arcimboldo to Dali), Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais (Métro Champs-Elysées-Clémenceau), www.grandpalais.fr

Through 28 June 2009 — “Le Siècle du Jazz” (The Century of Jazz), Musée du Quai Branly (Métro Alma-Marceau), www.quaibranly.fr

Through 13 July 2009 — “Le Grand Monde d’Andy Warhol — Les Portraits” (The Great World of Andy Warhol — the Portraits), Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais (Métro Champs-Elysees-Clémenceau), www.grandpalais.

Through 20 July 2009 — “Alexander Calder — Les Années Parisiennes” (Alexander Calder, the Parisian Years), Centre Pompidou (Métro Beaubourg), www.centrepompidou.fr

4 May – 26 July 2009 — “Elégance et Modernité, Le Meuble aux Manufactures de Beauvais, des Gobelins et de La Savonnerie (1908 1958)” (Elegance and Modernity, Furniture at the Manufactures des Beauvais, des Gobelins et de La Savonnerie, 1908 – 1958), Galerie des Gobelins (Métro Gobelins)

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

5 May – 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

7 May - 17 May 2009 — Salon Antiquités Brocante, Place de la Bastille 

7 May – 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

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

18 June 2009 – 24 January 2010 — “Madeleine Vionnet (1876-1975),” Musée de la Mode et du Textile (Métro Tuileries or Palais-Royal)

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

Versailles

 Through 28 June 2009 — “Fastes de Cour et Cérémonies Royales: Le Costume de Cour en Europe 1650 – 1800″ (Luxury of the Court and Royal Ceremonies: The Court Costume in Europe 1650 – 1800), Château de Versailles, in conjunction with the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Palais Pitti in Florence, the Musée du Louvre, the Musée Galliera, the Union Centrale des Arts Décoratifs and the Archives Nationales  (RER A)

Quimper (France)

Through 1 June 2009 — “Paul Gauguin — La Vision du Sermon” (Paul Gauguin — The Vision of the Sermon), Musée des Beaux Arts, http://musee-beauxarts.quimper.fr

Lyon

Through 29 June 2009 — “Juliette Récamier, Muse et Mécène” (Juliette Récamier, Muse and Patron), Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon, www.mba-lyon.fr

London

Through 19 July 2009 — “Baroque (1620 – 1800) — Style in the Age of Magnificence,” Victoria & Albert Museum, www.vam.ac.uk

Amsterdam

Through 7 June 2009 — “Van Gogh et les Couleurs de la Nuit” (Van Gogh and the Colors of the Night), Amsterdam Van Gogh Museum, www.vangoghmuseum.com

Washington, D.C.

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 17 May 2009 — “La Grande Famille du Cirque” (A Circus Family: Picasso to Léger), Baltimore Museum of Art, www.arttbma.org

Atlanta

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

Pasadena

Through 8 June 2009 — “Les Amours de Ronsard par Matisse” (Matisse’s Amours: Illustrations of Pierre de Ronsard’s Love Poems), Norton Simon Museum, www.nortonsimon.org

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