Musée Bourdelle is a very special little museum hidden away behind Gare Montparnasse and the monumental sculptures it shows could be a little daunting if some lighter beauties did not come to keep them company. After a magistral Madame Grès show four years ago, Cristobal Balenciaga (1895-1972) is the new guest. «L’œuvre au noir », a collection of 110 black dresses by the Spanish couturier is again a great success !
Olivier Saillard who runs Palais Galliera, invented a season of Spanish fashion which will continue with traditional Spanish costumes at Musée Victor Hugo in June, and Mariano Fortuny at Galliera in October.
He and Amélie Simier, director of the Bourdelle museum, could not have picked a better theme to exhibit among the monumental works by the Montauban born sculptor. There are fabulous views through the galleries and Balenciaga’s genius of details beautifully complements the enormous plaster and bronze statues.
I was lucky again to be introduced to Gaspard de Massé, the curator of Balenciaga’s archives, who patiently explained each dress, embroidered cock feathers and square “emmanchures”. All these black dresses (there is a little white and a litte pink in the last rooms) could be tedious if you did not pay attention to details, fabrics, reflections.
Lurex, gazar, which Balenciaga invented with Abraham in 1958, satin, horsehair, lace, plastic sequins and glass beads, make everything glitter.
My favourite dress is an evening gown with a velvet bodice and a silk taffeta skirt. At the waist, feathers are embroidered with sequins.
In the first room, a few black patrons are shown flat in cases and the “Robe quille” from 1940 with a sleeve “coudée” and “froncée” in crèpe de soie is simple and fabulous. It is quite impressive to see that Balenciaga kept on dressing ladies throughout the war and managed to get fabric from Spain.
Christian Dior said of Balenciaga « Clothes were his religion » and there is a certain austerity in all these dresses made for balls and entertainment. He uses black as a vibrant colour, matt or shiny, and creates “a dazzling interplay of light which owes to the luxurious quality of the fabrics”.
Lace, embroidery, shiny horsehair under the gazar, handpainted fringes, jet beads, everything glitters in the show. The “Baby doll” dress in cloqué de coton, the “Four Corner” dress (with only two seams) are among the most striking, technically, but all have a particular décoleté or special emmanchure..
With approximately half of the dresses, Galliera shows their large collection and Véronique Belloir, the curator of the show was very pleased by the general decor.
After two years of preparation, this is a major fashion statement and Olivier Saillard managed to make it super trendy and modern as usual.
I must say I have a hard time with his black on black backgrounds for the dresses. But Bourdelle’s statues make for a very luminous decor.
(Until July 16, 18 rue Antoine Bourdelle, Paris 15)
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2 Comments on “Balenciaga meets up with Bourdelle”
What a brill idea! I agree on the black agst black bkgrds. Why, why?
Another annoyance, especially at the Galleria is etiquettes at toe level?!
Why do Paris museum people want you to kneel to read about a dress or painting?
Avec un peu de retard, merci Laure de votre oeil attentif et sensible, et de votre fidélité au musée.
Avec un éclairage subtil, Lisa Ishii, la magicienne d’ICON Lighting, fait chanter les noirs de Balanciaga dans la scénographie d’Olivier Saillard, les reflets des bronzes de Bourdelle, et les gris des murs de béton de Christian de Portzamparc … dans le respect des 50 lux imposés par la fragilité des vêtements. Pas facile à photographier en effet!
A très bientôt de vous accueillir à nouveau au musée Bourdelle.
Amélie Simier