Bande dessinée, comic books, are the stars at Beaubourg

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Centre Pompidou and musée d’Art moderne are a temple of fabulous contemporary artworks and its current exhibition of Brancusi is one of the most sought after in Paris today. But the news of the week is the “La B.D. à tous les étages” understand: Comic books on all floors, which the President, Laurent Le Bon, inaugurated last Tuesday with a … Read More

Coco Chanel, Rudolf Nureev, two great essays!

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A small excellent publishing house Calype for Coco Chanel “A life behind the brand” by Jean Lebrun, and an established one Plon for “Le Crépuscule d’un Dieu” by Michel Canesi are proofs that even the most written about stars can be describe  in a new way. These two huge figures of the XX th century both died in early January … Read More

At Chantilly, animals invade the famous library and Claude Lorrain strikes our eye with his drawings

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There are two exhibitions at Chateau de Chantilly which might seem very intellectual but are actually a great source of pleasure. One, “Bestiaire médiéval” reveals all the imaginary and real animals painted in Medieval times in hunting treaties, fables, religious books… The donkey and the beef in Bethlehem, Jonas and the whale or other symbolic animals, have all been taken … Read More

Stéphanie des Horts, Daniel Cordier, Colin Thibert, Lesley Blanch, four books to discover

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Stéphanie des Horts has accustomed us every year  to the publication of fun biographies about scandalous women. Her new book, “Carolyn et John” is the story of the glamorous Kennedy couple who died on their way to Martha’s Vineyard on July 16, 1999. We know everything about the dramatic event but Stéphanie has a unique way of telling their story … Read More

Charles VII reigns over Musée de Cluny

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I have to admit, I did not remember anything about Charles VII before listening to Mathieu Deldicque and Maxence Hermant, at Musée de Cluny, telling us the story of this French king, 1422-1461. He is the 18 year old dauphin, whom Joan of Arc led to be crowned, remember? He inherited a messy kingdom from his father Charles VI, Le … Read More

Here and there, all the things you should know about

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It’s always quite impressive and exciting to walk up the stairs of the French Académie to attend a conference in the Grand Salle des Séances. The conversation between Maryvonne de Saint Pulgent and Adrien Goetz, President of the Académie des Beaux Arts (of which she is a correspondent), was open to the public and the topic was the restoration of … Read More

Bayonne and Biarritz always win my heart

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Starting the year in Bayonne with the discovery of the Collection Gramont, newly repatriated in the reserves of Musée Basque was a true emotion. The curator, Olivier Ribeton, President of Société des Amis de la Collection Gramont, and Sabine Cazenave director of the Musée Basque et de l’Histoire de Bayonne, have worked jointly for this resurrection of the collection which … Read More