Since her husband, Nobel Prize winner Harold Pinter died on Christmas Eve 2008, Lady Antonia Fraser has published two Memoirs « Must you go » and « My History ». Her latest book published last month by Oneworld Publications, « Our Israeli diary, 1978 » is a little publishing jewel. Alexandra Shulman is leaving Vogue at the height of her fame with the publication of “Inside … Read More
Mariano Fortuny y Madrazo, a universal genius
When as a young student in Madrid, Guillermo de Osma discovered Mariano Fortuny’s etchings in the Calcographia Nacional, he had no idea there had never been anything written on this Spanish genius of fashion and design who died in Venice in 1949. The “magician”, the “alchemist”, the “Renaissance man” as he was often called, remains a mystery to his biographers … Read More
Henri Cartier Bresson strikes again
“Images à la sauvette”, or “The Decisive Moment”, as it is known in the United States, is a book published in October 1952 by Simon and Schuster, which changed the course of Henri Cartier Bresson‘s life and dramatically influenced the art world. Henri Matisse designed the cover two years before he died, Teriade, the French publisher edited the book. The … Read More
Bibliothèque Richelieu looks great again
Once I was looking at an exhibition for a sale at Drouot and I saw a piece I liked which had already been sold fifty years ago. I went straight to Bibiliothèque Richelieu to research the previous catalog on their microfilms. And there I found all the details I needed. Registering and finding the files were incredibly easy and I … Read More
An architectural adventure to watch from home
The first film and book produced by this amazing young couple, Louise Lemoine and Ila Bêka, was about Rem Koolhaas’ house in Bordeaux. A very special building, now world famous, conceived after her father Jean-François Lemoine had a car accident that left him very impaired.
Paris churches, a permanent discovery
I had never walked into the Polish church, as Notre Dame de l’Assomption on rue Cambon, is commonly called by Parisians, even though it is ten minutes from my house. Typical !
Castro is gone, Cubans celebrate
Fidel Castro’s death on Friday November 25, was received with different feelings in Havana and in Miami. In Paris, novelist Zoé Valdès, who came as a political refugee in 1994, put up a Cuban flag on her balcony near the Bastille.
John le Carré, better than ever
Every pubisher will tell you : it is the first sentence of a book that counts, in order to keep the reader going. In « The pigeon tunnel », Stories from my life, John Le Carré starts like this : « I sit at my desk in the basement of the little Swiss chalet that I built with the profits … Read More