Of course the main attraction at Musée Picasso is the presentation of the collections in a decor created by Sir Paul Smith, the fashion designer who loves color. And it is a great incentive for anyone who is dettered by Picasso’s style to see his masterworks in a calm and playful way. But the surprise for me was to discover Faith … Read More
Hangar Y is Frédéric Jousset’s latest coup
One does not often travel to Meudon, a very royal suburb of Paris, which had a direct road to Versailles in the times of Louis XIV, when minister Louvois owned it. Frédéric Jousset, a successful French financier, has invested the Hangar Y which used to be a storage fro dirigibles in teh 19 th century, and is turning it into … Read More
Musée Bourdelle had a serious facelift and it’s successful
The garden was awakening and the first pink magnolias were in bloom to celebrate the 5 million € renovation of Musée Bourdelle, the house and studio where the turn-of-the century sculptor trained so many famous artists such as Giacometti and Germaine Richier. The architect Bertrand Naut has done an extraordinary job or consolidation of the foundations and restoration of the house … Read More
A busy week ahead, and full of drawings…
This week is going to be hot on the drawing side since there are no less than four art fairs, many more exhibitions in private galleries and a large auction by Ader at Hotel Drouot of Talabardon and Gautier‘s paintings. Le Salon du Dessin at the former Stock Exchange, place de la Bourse, Drawing Now at Carreau du Temple, the … Read More
Giovanni Bellini and family at Jacquemart André
Musée Jacquemart André offers an exquisite exhibition devoted to Giovanni Bellini (c. 1435-1516), his father Jacopo, brother Gentile and brother in law Andrea Mantegna, a whole generation of painters. Considered as the father of the Venetian School, he opened the way to the art of colour and tones that came to be characteristic of the art of the sixteenth century in … Read More
Pastels are unique at Musée d’Orsay
Pastels are this rare kind of paintings which can disappear if not well transported, for the pigments which constitute the drawing sticks are extraordinarily fragile and sensitive to light. While there were some pastellists in the 18 th century such as Maurice Quentin de la Tour or the Swiss Jean Etienne Liotard the “resurrection” (as Charles Bazin called it in 1849) of … Read More
Neo Romantics at Marmottan, a very intimate gathering with Patrick Mauriès
As Erik Desmazières, director of Musée Marmottan Manet (and an artist himself), said while touring a group around, “I am happy that this exhibition is bringing back “tout ce petit monde”, this small world of artists on the front stage from which they had disappeared”. What he meant was that Christian Bérard, Eugene and Leonid Berman, Pavel Tchelitchew, Pierre Charbonnier, … Read More
Tony Scherman has left us, what a loss…
One day, in 1997, Daniel Templon asked me if I would host a dinner party after the opening of a Tony Scherman exhibition at his gallery. And he mentioned the frightening detail that the Canadian painter was a very good cook! I managed to prepare a boeuf bourguignon which he enjoyed and served good wine. At the end of dinner, … Read More