Ornithology became a science during Louis XVI’s reign and Buffon’s “Histoire Naturelle” is one of the leading scientific tools when you come to study birds. An extraordinary exhibition is taking place at Comte Moïse de Camondo’s house, in parc Monceau with 350 pieces of china, patiently collected in 1898, exhibited together with painted etchings by François-Nicolas Martinet, Henry-François Vincent and … Read More
Napoléon III at Orsay
There could not be a better place than Musée d’Orsay for an exhibition on « Spectacular Second Empire », the lavish era of Napoléon the Third, the French equivalent of Victorian style. The show curated by Guy Coeval is elegantly set by Hubert le Gall and looks more like an antique dealers stand than an exhibition. It is a pleasure … Read More
Pantin, the new place to be
The new Pantin, a suburb north east of Paris, looks glamorous and slick. Some people compare it to what has become of Brooklyn in the last twenty years. The renovation of Magasins Géréraux, a huge warehouse located on the canal de l’Ourcq, by advertising agency BETC, is an event : the trendy 900 employees are creating a whole new cultural … Read More
Pierre Paulin at Pompidou
It is a fascinating and fun exhibition that Centre Georges Pompidou has organized to celebrate Pierre Paulin, the French-Swiss German designer, who died in 2008. He was revealed to the public when President Pompidou commissioned a modern decor for the Elysée Palace from him in 1968. With the simple order: “don’t make any noise”. His furniture and the dismantlement of … Read More