Paris Diary by Laure

Sabine Devieilhe, a total star in Somnambula

parisdia12 April 2016Performing arts1 Comment

Sabine Devieilhe does not only have a fabulous voice, she is also extremely pretty

There are magical evenings that one only lives through a few times in one’s life and Monday night at Théâtre des Champs Elysées was one of them. My good friend Sophie de Ségur, who knows the opera world in and out, had warned me : do not miss Sabine Devieilhe’s « Somnambula » in April, she is a major singer ! And so obediently, I booked (a strapontin, a folding seat) in an already full house and looked forward to rediscovering this young (30) soprano whom I had heard in Aix en Provence at the HSBC Académie competition and also in Paris in their Champs Elysées salons. That was in 2012.Read More

Gardens and art, a true passion

parisdia8 April 2016Flowers and gardens1 Comment

Jérôme Marcadé devotes his gallery Jardins en art, of rue Racine to photographs, paintings, sculpture and books on gardens

Jérôme Marcadé is a true passionate. He has a garden in Normandy, but he spends most of his time in his bookstore–gallery near théâtre de l’Odéon, where he invites photographers, sculptors, painters and writers to meet and discuss their work. His kingdom is a bit like a salon, where all forms of art are focused on plants and garden. It is a solar place with a very peaceful atmosphere and a chic patronage.Read More

“Dans l’atelier”, artists and photographs at work

parisdia7 April 2016Art, Photography1 Comment

Self portrait of Charles Giraud in his atelier, 1870

Christophe Leribault, has again prepared a major surprise for us at Petit Palais, with this delightful exhibition « Dans l’atelier » (In the artist’s studio). It comprises over 430 photographs and one drawing of the way artists worked since photography is invented. With a mixture of contemporary photographs by Gérard Rondeau or Gautier Deblonde, the collection of 19 th century photos by Edouard Bénard and 20 th century by Willy Maywald, Doisneau or Brassaï, the show is a great success partially thanks to a clever hanging.

Fernand Léger photographed by Robert Doisneau

“Fashion forward”, three centuries of fashion

parisdia7 April 2016Fashion3 Comments

Offrande a Pan, tapestry from Beauvais, 17 th century is the background for a hunting jacket of embroidered leather1690, and justaucorps for child and adult

“Offrande à Pan”, a tapestry from Beauvais, 17 th century, is the background for a hunting jacket in embroidered leather, 1690, and two justaucorps for child and adult

I must say I never suspected, when I recently had dinner with Olivier Gabet, director of Musée des Arts décoratifs, that his exhibition of « 300 years of fashion », would be as pretty and as much fun as it is. The first rooms of 17 th to 19 th century are ravishing, with a very special decor created by Christopher Wheeldon and Jérôme Kaplan, who both usually work in the dance and theatre worlds. Furnished with tapestries, antique wallpapers and some furniture, they show the best of Louix XV dresses and men’s embroidered vests, Directoire costumes and romantic crinolines from Napoléon III rd’s times.Read More

Prix Emile Perreau Saussine, a moving moment

parisdia5 April 2016BooksLeave a Comment

Pierre Manent, President of the jury, and the dashing director of Sciences Pô, Frédéric Mion

For the sixth year, friends and family of Emile Perreau Saussine met at Sciences Pô for the prize giving ceremony in his memory. He was a teacher of philosophical politics at Cambridge university and at Institut des Sciences politiques in Paris, and his PhD adviser, Pierre Manent is the president of the jury.Read More

Marquet, a magician of atmospheres

parisdia1 April 2016Art2 Comments

Quai Saint Michel avec fumée, circa 1908-1909, courtes galerie de la Présidence, Philip Bernard

“Quai Saint Michel avec fumée”, circa 1908-1909, courtesy Galerie de la Présidence, Philip Bernard

Ever since I discovered a painting of the Seine by Albert Marquet at a friend’s house when I was 20, I was struck every time I saw a Marquet again. He had made a lasting impression on my young eyes. Eight years ago, Musée de la Marine had an extraordinary show of this turn of the century sensitive artist, who always loved to paint water scenes, of sea and rivers alike. This year again, Musée d’art Moderne de la ville de Paris, is having a retrospective with a strange name « Peintre du temps suspendu » (painter of suspended time). It is nevertheless a beautiful exhibition with many paintings of Algiers and Naples which were unknown to me. The light of Le Havre is reminiscent of Africa and the foggy views of Algier’s harbor could (almost) be in Normandy. What a versatile painter with a love of colour !

La Marne à la Varenne Saint Hilaire, 1913-1915

Seydou Keïta, a natural photographer

parisdia1 April 2016Photography1 Comment

Sans titre, 1949-1951, CAAC- The Pigozzi collection, Geneva

He was born in Bamako when it was still the French colony of Sudan, never went to school and started as a wood carver at age 7. When he received his first Kodak Brownie at 14, he became an avid photographer. Seydou Keïta, who died in Paris fifteen years ago, gets his first major retrospective at Grand Palais, thanks to the large collection of Jean Pigozzi.

A witty lunch at the French Academy

parisdia1 April 2016Books, Flowers and gardens4 Comments

Hugues Gall, President of Giverny was presenting the book over lunch

Hugues Gall, Director of Giverny was presenting the Monet book before lunch

It’s always impressive to have lunch at the French Academy, one of the most fabulous 17 th century building, designed by Louis Le Vau along the Seine, and when you are invited by Academician Hugues Gall, the witty and charming Director of Giverny (who was born in Honfleur!) it is even more exciting. The excuse for gathering twenty guests in the salon Vuillard, was the presentation of a new book published jointly by Giverny and Alain de Gourcuff on Monet’s private art collection. And it was fun !Read More