Laurent Petitgirard, Adrien Goetz and Maryvonne de Saint Pulgent in the Salle des séances at l’Institut

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 Notre Dame, on which Maryvonne has published a book  “La Gloire de Notre Dame”. Her dialogue with Adrien Goetz and the Medieval historian Michel Zink was very amusing until she declared that ND would not be entirely restored for another five years and that the costs were 30 M€ over budget… Yet it will reopen for mass at Xmas 2024.

One other moment was very moving when Jean-Jacques Annaud, also a member of the Académie des Beaux Arts and the director of the superb film “Notre Dame is burning”, mentioned that he had been promoting the film for two years, and it was distributed in 193 countries… If you have not seen it, rush on the dvd. One had the impression that the Académie des Beaux Arts was a brilliant 18 th century salon where every member competed in charm and wit… There are many séances which are open to the public and it is worth seeing.

Marjane Satrapi, the author of “Persepolis” has just been elected at Académie des Beaux Arts

It was announced during the meeting that Marjane Satrapi, the Iranian writer (Persepolis) and cinematographer, had just been elected that afternoon. There will now be 17 ladies at the Académie, of which 13 were picked since composer and conductor  Laurent Petitgirard is Secrétaire perpétuel. Saint Pulgent talked extensively about Viollet-le-Duc who restored Notre Dame in the XIX th century and about the world fame of the church acquired in 1939 thanks to the film “The Hunchback of ND” with Charles Laughton and the musical… of course. The seat of the King’s power, ND was already built with the public’s financial contributions in medieval times, but was literally abandoned in the XVIII th century. Saint Pulgent attended the music conservatory and  is a keen musician and there is a whole passage on the importance of music in the church. (Gallimard 32€)

J.D. Okhai Ojeikere, “Ife Bronze” circa 1970 at La Fab

Agnès b., the fashion designer, has always been a precursor in collecting African art and the first time I ever  saw Nigerian photographer’s J.D. ‘Okhai Ojeikere pictures of hairdo was at her Galerie du Jour, in the 1980’s. She is organizing the first solo exhibition of his works at La Fab, near the Bibliothèque François Mitterrand), a happy space where she presents her own collection as well as photographs for sale. Born in 1930, the photographer started his series of 1 000 “Hairstyle” pictures, shot all around the country in 1968, first as an ethnographic gesture and then purely artistically… Then came “Headdress” another series shot in 2000 with sculptural compositions of fabrics… He gives to hairdo an artistic and esthetical dimension. (La Fab, until March 30, from Wednesday to Saturday, 11 am to 7 pm)

Patrick Eugène, “Nights Getting Colder”, Solitude series, 2023 at Galerie Mariane Ibrahim

I really enjoyed Patrick Eugène‘s exhibition at Galerie Mariane Ibrahim on avenue Matignon. The Haitian American painter, b.1984, has a distinctive style and frames his characters beautifully on the canvas. This is his first solo exhibition in Paris and it is called Solitude. “It confronts the full spectrum of solitude from immense loneliness to tranquil solace and profound introspection”. The many figures painted here in an array of blues are each disturbing and strong.

Patrick Eugène, “Night table” 2023, and “Indigo Dreams”, 2023

Centre Pompidou has a beautiful exhibition “La Traversée des Apparences” on the relationship between fashion and paintings, curated by Laurence Benaïm. It enables you to walk around the permanent collections and discover an Azzedine Alaïa dress from 2003 with a Marcel Breuer dining room from 1926. And it is announcing the acquisition of 8 works by Gérard Zlotykamien, which (at last) integrates Urban art in the permanent collections. Represented by MathGoth galerie, the artist was one of the first street artists in France. He  had a large exhibition last fall and, at 83, it is a fantastic recognition.

Azzedine Alaïa, Couture 2003, lent by Fondation Alaïa, with Marcel Breuer dining room furniture, 1926 at Centre Pompidou

At Galerie La Nouvelle Athènes, next door to Musée de la Vie Romantique on rue Chaptal, the Spring show of XIX th century drawings and watercolors is opening on Thursday March 7 (until March 29). This refined gallery run by Raphaël Aracil de Duksza and Damien Dumarquez, always shows famous and lesser known artists. Anne Louis Girodet, Pietro Gonzaga, Jean Vasserot, Jean Rubin Vauzelle mix with Horace Vernet (portrait of Louis Philippe young), Paul Jean Flandrin, Antoine Auguste Hébert, Richard Reddfern, Charles Devéria and Théodore Chassériau. The catalog is online.

Tony Johannot, portrait of actor Edmond Geffroy in Hamlet, cir 1829 at Galerie La Nouvelle Athènes

You might remember when I 2016, the Louvre and the Rijkmuseum acquired two paintings by Rembrandt of Marten Soolmans and his wife Oopjen Coppit (1634)? They were sold by the Rothschild family and a very original contract tied the two museums who acquired them. The couple are inseparable and cannot be exhibited one without the other. They alternate every five years in the two museums. Well, time flies and they are already back at the Louvre from their stay in Amsterdam,  and you can admire them in the Rembrandt room 844 of the aile Richelieu…

Rembrandt, the two Inseparables painted in 1634, are back at the Louvre

Have a lovely week.