Exotic tapestries and classical furniture, at Galerie des Gobelins

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Fireplace screen in Beauvais tapestry, Arabic scene, 1923, after Gaudissart,

If you are sensitive to beautiful furniture and taspestries make sure to visit the Galerie des Gobelins a fairly unknown but magical museum devoted to the collections of Mobilier National. This unit of the French state, was created by Louis XIVth and keeps approximately 100 000 pieces of furniture, paintings, carpets, linen, china which can be borrowed by ambassadors and ministers to decorate their official residences and offices. They represent the best in French decorative arts.

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Lee Ungno, a major Korean artist at Cernuschi

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Banana trees, 1975, ink and pencil on paper

Musée Cernuschi is one of the « hidden » treasures of Paris. Hidden in the Parc Monceau, in a private house bought by Enrico (Henri) Cernuschi, a fabulous Italian collector of Asian art, who became French during the Commune of 1870. And the new exhibition of Korean artist Lee Ungno is the result of he artist’s bequest of most of his works to the museum after his death in 1989. Eighty two works from calligraphy to paintings and sculptures show how influenced the artist was by Western art and yet always remained himself. It is excellent.Read More

Giverny gardens, flowers and books, books, books…

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Hugues Gall, Président of Giverny, Francis Hammond, photographer and Adrien Goetz, authors of the book “A day with Claude Monet”

It was a lovely sunny evening and le Tout Paris who love gardens was there at Jérôme Marcadé’s gallery Jardins en art, where a sexy group of authors gathered around yet another Giverny book. Hugues Gall in great form was laughing away with Patrice and Hélène Fustier, founders of Journées des Plantes de Courson, while Adrien Goetz and Francis Hammond were signing away their book, “A Day with Claude Monet at Giverny”. Read More

Jacques de Bascher, a truly naughty boy

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For anyone who lived through the “Années Palace” in Paris between 1979 and 1982, the biography of Jacques de Bascher written by Libération journalist Marie Ottavi, is a fascinating flash back into the years of insouciance before Aids hit the night scene. This enfant terrible who was Karl Lagerfeld’s great love, zoomed through life with charm and drama and took over the fashion scene. The book reads like an adventure novel.Read More

British bliss in Gloucestershire

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The Temple at Stancombe overlooks the most romantic garden, photo Nic Barlow

 

Flying to Heathrow and being welcomed by an immigration officer as tough as if I was an undocumented Mexican trying to enter the US was not a good surprise but as soon as I was on the M4 driving west into the sunset, I felt blissfully happy. At Stancombe Park, Gloucestershire, a magical garden with an 19 th century Greek revival temple was awaiting me. And so started my private tour of British gardens.Read More

Summer (Duvelleroy) fans are in!

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Portrait of Mrs Duvelleroy, 1905, by Louise Abbéma. The yellow of her dress has inspired the new owners for the shop decoration

The adventure started in 2010 when two clever Parisian school friends decided to buy the Duvelleroy fan brand which was asleep. They revived it so well and developed so methodically both couture accessories and ready to wear or paper fans, that they are now able to celebrate 190 years of Duvelleroy fan making.Read More

Charles Kaiser, in translation

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Writer Charles Kaiser was in Paris for the publication of his book “The Cost of Courage” in French

Eighteen months after the US publication of his major biography of the Boulloche family, “The Cost of Courage“, Charles Kaiser was in Paris for the book signing of the French translation, “Le Prix du Courage” published by Le Seuil. And it was incredibly moving to see the descendants of heroic resistants celebrate an American writer who helped them remember.Read More

Texas architect Frank Welch has left us

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Dallas architect Frank Welch in 2003

The Dean of Texas architecture, Frank Welch, has died at 90 last Friday, June 23. He was the author of two books, « On becoming an architect » that he published two years ago, and another on « Philip Johnson in Texas » in 2000, whom he admired. I will remember him as a true Gentleman who loved Paris and France, good life and his two daughters, Liz and Woo. He was surrounded by affectionate admirers till the end of his life. He will be missed.Read More