This morning at Versailles, I discovered that we owe one important historical moment to the Brits: in sending Napoleon to Elba in April 1814, they prevented Versailles from being turned into a Napoleonic castle with a new façade and new apartments for all his family and military aides. All the plans for the elevation and the decors were recently acquired … Read More
Indian architect Bijoy Jain at Fondation Cartier and on film
I have to admit I had never hear of Indian architect Bijoy Jahin, b. 1965 in Mumbai, who studied at Washington University in Saint Louis and practiced in L.A. between 1989 and 1995 at Richard Meier‘s model workshop, making models for the Getty Museum. He returned to India in 1995 after a stint in London and created Studio Mumbai, a … Read More
Rambouillet is the new place to be!
It’s always very exciting to enter a newly restored house and Château de Rambouillet, managed by Centre des Monuments Nationaux, is particularly interesting for it glittered under three different regimes. First, King Louis XVI who used to hunt there often (it is close to Versailles) and he asked Hubert Robert to conceive laiterie (milk farm) for Marie Antoinette who did … Read More
What I am going to offer for Xmas?
Every year it’s the same dilemma, you give presents whom nobody likes and you receive some that you immediately want to give away. I have selected a few modest ideas that might help? My favorite shop being Fragonard for soaps and fragrances but also tablecloths and plates or candleholders. Then comes La Chaise Longue which has fun little items like … Read More
At Petit Palais, Modernity is the theme
This is the third part of a trilogy started by Christophe Leribault at Petit Palais with “Paris Romantique ” in 2019 and “Paris 1900”, in 2021. “Le Paris de la Modernité, 1905-1925” is a multifaceted show starting with Montmartre and Montparnasse, the beginnings of automobile and aviation, Paul Poiret and Jeanne Lanvin’s fashion, the Théâtre des Champs Elysées and the … Read More
Le Bourget airport, a chef d’oeuvre of the 1930’S
Some of you might have seen the film on Rudolf Nureev’s defection to France, which took place at le Bourget airport on June 16, 1961. He had come to Paris to dance with 100 dancers from the Kirov for a month and as the group was going to London, he was being sent back to Moscow supposedly for a benefit. … Read More
The Patrimoine culturel is a big French issue
There were newcomers and the old traditional attendants at the Salon du Patrimoine culturel in the Carrousel du Louvre and it is always amazing to find unique specialists of French art de vivre who cater mostly to historical places. They are not all geared at the restoration of castles and churches but the 300 participants all use exceptional materials and … Read More
Jeanne Malivel, a Bretonne who knew how to paint
An American friend, who knows everything happening in Art Deco in Paris, mentioned this exhibition of paintings and furniture by Jeanne Malivel, 1895-1926, at Bibliothèque Forney and of course I rushed… She probably would have remained in the reserves if she had not been a woman, who died at 31, and a Bretonne on top of it. Mostly self taught … Read More