At Château de Chantilly and at Abbaye de Chaalis, Primatice reigns

parisdiaArt, Flowers and gardens, Restaurants & Hotels3 Comments

It has become a huge effort to visit Château de Chantilly and its wonderful collections. This Saturday, the electric gates to enter the parking lot were not working properly and everyone was enraged. I could not find anyone to help my friend Garance, who walks poorly, and reaching the drawing galleries through the main court is an ordeal. The usual … Read More

Philippe Apeloig, a graphist with many facets

parisdiaArt, Books, History3 Comments

As we learn that French American singer and dancer, Joséphine Baker, will enter the Panthéon on November 30 th for her actions in the Resistance, another event will put this former church, turned pantheon by the revolutionaries on April 4, 1791, on the map.  On the nights of September 16-18, it will be illuminated with photographs of the dark commemorative … Read More

Giacometti loved Egyptian art

parisdiaArt2 Comments

I could not go to Fondation Maeght (until November 14) nor to Monaco (until August 29) to visit the two major Alberto Giacometti exhibitions but went to Paris’ Institut Giacometti near Fondation Cartier in the 14 th, where his love for Egypt is illustrated. The house, where his studio and library are recreated, is an intimate and precious place. Until … Read More

At Château d’Oiron “Le grand Bazar” reigns.

parisdiaArt2 Comments

Jean Hubert Martin has accustomed us to strange titles for his exhibitions. He is famous for having curated “Les Magiciens de la Terre” on African contemporary art, at Centre Pompidou in 1989. The latest show, in 2016 at Grand Palais, assembled 185 artworks from all times and styles and was called “Carambolage“, car crash or collision. Before opening a large … Read More

Ile de Ré is in top cultural form

parisdiaArt, Fashion, Restaurants & Hotels11 Comments

The magical Ile de Ré acquired a bridge in 1988 and since then, it is easily linked to La Rochelle and even more popular than before. There is great social rivalry between Les Portes, at the extreme end of the island, and Ars five miles away, a bit like East Hampton and Southampton in the summer. But in the end, lunch … Read More

In Saint Quentin, there are many surprises!

parisdiaArchitecture, Art8 Comments

The town of Saint Quentin, an hour and a half North East of Paris (70 minutes by train), is one of the places that I had wanted to visit for many years and I never managed the time to do so. It is famous for two things: the Musée Antoine Lécuyer with pastels by Maurice Quentin de La Tour, 1704-1788, and … Read More

Tuscany wins on every count!

parisdiaArt, Flowers and gardens, Performing arts10 Comments

How perfect can a week in Tuscany be? Far from the book “A Summer’s lease” by John Mortimer where everything goes wrong for the poor British tenants of a villa, my week in Fiesole and San Giovanni d’Asso near Pienza, were perfect from beginning to end, with a variety of activities from chamber music at “Incontri in Terra di Siena” … Read More