Paris Diary by Laure - A very personal and subjective view of Paris life for all of you who are curious of what's going on in France.

Galerie Neuse at Jean Marie Rossi’s, a Parisian event

A general view of Graf’s decor with a 20 light chandelier in gilt bronze, 1820-1830, Berlin

There is one great advantage at not having a proper Biennale des Antiquaires and that is the staged show “Apotheosis of Genius” organized on place Beauvau by Galerie Neuse from Bremen. François Joseph Graf created a decor reminiscent of a “German opera” where the 19 th century treasures are presented in different “schatzkammers”. It is spectacular, with fake Cordoba leather on the walls and fake ceramic floors. This is a true surprise coming from this German antique dealer, seen at Maastricht every year, who usually deals with 15 th to 18 th century silver, ivory and cristal treasures.Read More

Porquerolles, a natural Foundation for art

Miquel Barceló, “Not yet titled”, 2018, collection Carmignac, in the chapel

The fifteen minute boat trip to Porquerolles reminded me of taking the short ferry ride to Naoshima island in Japan. I had a few hours to wait at Toulon airport and when I realized that Fondation Carmignac was just a few miles away, I jumped in a taxi and boarded the crowded Sunday morning ferry to the beaches of this small island in the Mediterranean. This is where Charles Carmignac, the son of the successful businessman Edouard Carmignac, is running the Villa built in 1985 by architect Henri Vidal for his family, art dealer Aline Vidal and her sisters. Read More

Gainsborough versus Reynolds, and the winner is… Nature

George Stubbs, “Horse Attacked by a Lion”, 1769, enamel on copper, bought with the help of the Society of Friends of the Tate, 1970 © Tate, London, 2019

Of course it would have been much more cheerful to see this exhibition in a beautiful English Country House but the 68 works lent by the Tate Britain for the exhibition “The Golden Age of English painting” are all stunning, with a central chef d’oeuvre, Reynolds’ “Colonel Acland and Lord Sydney: the Archers”. Musée du Luxembourg has good proportions for an intimate show and it is worth spending time on the details of these great portraits.

The Prix de La Commission Biennale 2019 was awarded to Kent Antiques, for an important Talismanic Shirt (Jama), with Qu’anic Verses and Shia, Protective Prayers Giving the Names of the Twelve Imams, North India or the Deccan, 17th Century

La Biennale de Paris which now takes place every year, was a light affair with some good finds and a very sad news. It ends on Tuesday after only five days: the only traditional French 18 th century antique dealer was Steinitz with a very exceptional mirror (ca 1720) which belonged to Elisabeth Charlotte d’Orléans, duchesse de Lorraine and should soon return to Château de Lunéville., the Versailles of Lorraine. Steinitz has now moved to spectacular premises on 6 rue Royale.Read More

Matei Negreanu’s precious glass sculptures

Matei Negranu with two of his works at the opening (photo Hervé Claude)

When he left Rumania and arrived in Paris in 1981, Matei Negreanu already had a career as an artist. It took him very little time to exhibit his glass sculptures which were made of thin layers of glass, cut out, sanded and assembled in his modest room. His works have evolved over the years but his style remains very identifiable and he continues to use green as a color, which I love. He has a new show at Galerie Clara Scremini until October 12.Read More

Galerie J. Kugel surprises us again!

Desk by Roentgen which belonged to Catherine II of Russia, photo Guillaume Benoît

The yearly invitation from Galerie J. Kugel is always a cheerful moment in the middle of the summer and this year again, Nicolas and Alexis managed a coup. The acquisition of a music room painted by Catalan artist José Marie Sert (1874-1945) for Corina Kavanagh in the tallest (120 m) building of Latin America built in 1936 in Buenos Aires. It is the most modern piece in their collection of treasures (1938) and a striking series of panels painted on gold. Do not miss it!

Charles Cottet, “Femmes de Plougastel au Pardon de Sainte-Anne-la-Palud”, 1904. Dépôt de M. et Mme Hardy au Musée des Beaux-arts, Quimper © Cliché Musée des Beaux-arts, Quimper

When I decided to lengthen a little the summer until Labor Day and to go and visit the Fonds pour la culture Hélène et Edouard Leclerc in Landerneau (near Brest), I did not expect to see the marvelous exhibition at Musée départemental breton de Quimper. One is a trendy center for Parisians who like to see their friends’ art collections, the latter is a true delight of all Breton art, set in a medieval building, formerly Palace of the Bishops of Cornouaille. Guess which one I liked best?Read More

Louis XIV and Charles de Gaulle, attract British biographers

Hyacinthe Rigaud, Portrait of Louis XIV

Two major biographies of great French men have been published in the last year in Great Britain and both are translated into French: “King of the World, The Life of Louis XIV”, by Philip Mansel and “De Gaulle, A certain idea of France”, by Julian Jackson are huge successes in the time of Brexit. And both are published by Penguin UK.Read More