The Reopening of Notre Dame de Paris

The time has finally come. I can now count on one hand how many days we are once again standing under the stone transept of the Cathedral Notre Dame de Paris. 

We watched in disbelief two thousand and sixty days ago as the spire was engulfed in flames. We gasped as it fell into the church, thinking the rooster with Sainte Genevieve and Saint-Denis relics would be lost forever. We feared Our Lady would be no more when the fire ate through theed to the towers forest and head. 

On April 16, 2019, we woke up to see Notre Dame standing tall, a little banged up but still standing. Although the fire was tragic, some good things came from it. The fire allowed for the first cleaning of the church in 160 years! In some spots, there were inches of dirt, dust, candle soot, incense residue, and lead dust that dulled the windows and statues. The upside was that it protected the paint, glass, and wood, and many of the spots just needed a cleaning instead of a complete restoration that was first seen in all its glory last week. 

Five years and almost eight months is a long time. We lived through a global pandemic that halted the world, which feels unbelievable in retrospect. I was diagnosed with cancer and lost my most important person. I also packed up my entire life and moved to another country. It is incredible to think of all the things we have endured over the last five years. 

And through it all, Notre Dame de Paris has stood, and with the love of over 2000 craftsmen and women, she has weathered her renaissance. Her roof and spire have once again risen from the ashes, and her familiar silhouette has returned. 

Notre Dame transcends classification and religion and means something different to everyone. First and foremost, Notre Dame is a Cathedral and a place of worship. However, she is also a monument and even a museum, but to some people like head architect Philippe Villeneuve, it was a place he remembers going to as a child, and today, he has given every moment of the last eleven years to returning her to glory. 

She is a family touchstone going back to the turn of the 20th century like no other place in Paris. My great-aunts came in 1902, purchased a gargoyle at the church, and wrote how overcome they were by the beautiful light inside the cathedral. 

My grandparents always visited every trip and even walked up the tower to get photos of the city and gargoyles protecting the church. Every day, I sit at my desk and look at the photo of my grandfather in front of the church. It is a rare moment when he steps in front of the camera, next to a picture of my grandmother on top of the South Tower, who looked chic as always. They also picked up a gargoyle on that first trip, just like his aunts. I now have both of them and treasure each one.

Today, I live in Paris and walk down to check in on my girl, and spend countless hours pouring over every bit of information I can find on the restoration and history of the Cathedral, always with them next to me and in my thoughts. 

Over the last five years, I have heard countless stories from all of you about the cathedral. Notre Dame de Paris doesn’t just belong to Paris or France; it belongs to the world. On this opening weekend, everyone who holds a special bond with her can again celebrate, even if those who feel a very special connection can’t make it to Paris. 

If you are coming to Paris the next year, a visit to Notre Dame should be at the top of the list. There is so much information out there, some of which isn’t exactly accurate and quite confusing. 

To ease the entry process for what is to be 40,000 people a day. That is 10,000 more per day than the Louvre allows, and the Louvre has 9 miles of galleries. 
A free timed ticket can be booked one day in advance to help the traffic flow, but it is NOT the only way to visit. You can also line up each day during the opening hours. The wait may be long, but it will be worth it. 

Beginning Monday, December 9, the cathedral will open each afternoon from 3:30 to 10 p.m. for the opening week, with a special themed mass at 6:30 p.m. each day. This schedule will run through Friday, December 13th. 

On December 3, tickets for the evening masses went on sale and sold out in less than an hour. However, fear not: More tickets will be available for the hours outside of mass (3:30 to 5 pm and then after mass to closing). 

Here is the MOST IMPORTANT part. So you know, tickets will only be available one day in advance, and this is going forward. If you are coming in January, April, June, etc., you can do nothing now. 

On Saturday, December 7, the tickets for the 3:30 pm on Monday, December 9, will open online. What time on Saturday is anyone's guess but be ready at www.NotreDamedeParis.fr to grab them. 

Tickets will also be monitored in real-time, so tickets can be obtained on the same day. After the first few weeks, they will also know more about traffic flow. Before the fire, the average time spent inside was 20 minutes; they believe that will double to 45 minutes per person. Wait until they see me there for five hours straight every day. 

On December 14 & 15, the hours will be 3:30 pm to 8 pm each day. 

On December 16 and in the future, the Cathedral will return to its daily formal hours of 7:45 a.m. to 7 p.m. Set your alarm and get there early; you won’t regret it. 

Download the Notre Dame app available NOW

Rose Valland and an Important Piece of WWII History

Last week, an essential piece of World War II history was auctioned at Christie’s in Paris. Around 1700, Nicolas de Largilliérre painted a bourgeoisie woman wrapped in lush red velvet sitting outside with a tree and rock cliff background. This is pretty much how I would look if I were also out in the wilderness, which won’t be happening.

We don’t know the early provenance of this painting, but in the early 1930s, it came into the possession of Henri de Rothschild. Eventually, it was passed to his son Philippe, who kept it at his winery in Bordeaux, the Chateau Mouton Rothschild. As Hitler moved through Europe, Philippe packed up his collection in November 1940 and placed it in the Societe General Bank in Arachon.

Many wealthy Jewish families in France thought their money would protect them during the war, but that was not the case. The three branches of the Rothschild family in Paris at the time had vast collections of art, much of which was at the top of Hitler’s wish list, including Vermeer’s Astronomer.

Sadly, money did not protect Philippe de Rothschild, and he was arrested in Algeria by the Vichy government. The Vichy government stripped him of his French citizenship, and his vineyard and collection were seized and shipped to the Jeu de Paume in Paris. My favorite, Rose Valland, watched over the German “gallery depot” where art was chosen for Hitler and Goring and carefully tracked each item at night in her volumes of ledgers. 

In her book The Art Front, Rose Valland mentions that 1941 was “truly the Rothschild year” for the ERR. If they were going to steal the art of France, they would start with the best collections. The ERR did precisely that—they stole everything they could and arrested the family members. 

Philippe was released on April 20, 1941, and left for London. Elisabeth, his wife, was sent to Ravensbruck Concentration camp, where she was killed. The only member of the prominent Jewish family to be killed by the Germans during the war. 

At the Jeu de Paume, Rose Valland noted the paintings and their owner in her many ledgers, the German code given to each one, the crate and destination, and even the date and train they were shipped out on. Through her notes, the Allies knew which trains and routes to secure. She did this every day for the entire length of the war. They had no idea what this quiet, fantastic woman was doing. If they had known she would have been killed, they almost caught her twice. 

The Rothschild’s collection was sent to King Ludwig II’s Neuschwanstein castle in Bavaria; ERR painting number R437 was stashed away until May 4, 1945, when Rose Valland’s notes led the Monuments Men directly to the castle to save the treasures of France. A year later, on May 3, 1946, it was back into the hands of the Rothschild family and remained until June 13, 1978, when it was sold to its current owner, who, like the model of the painting, is unknown.

Following the war, Valland’s notes were used to recover thousands of looted art and personal possessions taken from Jewish homes. She was sent to Italy and Germany to aid the Monuments Men in their recovery. The French government made her a Fine Arts Officer, and Italy, Germany, and the US awarded her. 

Because of Rose Valland, more than 65,000 works of art were returned to Jewish families, museums, and galleries. Sadly, just as many, if not more, are still missing, and many sit in museums across France waiting to be returned to their rightful owners. 

My love and respect for this woman and what she did is immense. She put her life on the line daily to protect the only thing left of many families and treasures of France. If it weren’t for her heroic act, hundreds of thousands of pieces of art and the property of thousands of  Jewish families would have been lost to the Nazi greed forever.  

The fact that this painting passed through the hands of Rose Valland is enough for me, but the painting is also well-known from a photograph. 

On that day in May 1945, Sgt Tony Valim was on hand to assist James Rormier and the Monuments Men as they emptied the castle of its over 20,000 pieces of looted art. A photo was snapped with Sgt Valim holding the painting and Rorimer looking on. The image would be used on the cover of Robert Edsel’s fantastic book The Monuments Men and become the photo that defined the heroes who stepped into the most significant art heist in history. 

I visited the painting last week at Christie’s, stood there, and thought about what and who she represents. 

The auction occurred on November 21st and was estimated to sell for €50,000 to €80,000. 

It sold for €529,200 by a private collector. 

Just this week, the Monument’s Men Foundation released the first-ever English translation of Rose Valland’s book The Art Front. The translation took over three years, and the book was originally published in 1961 as Le Front de l’Art, Défense des collections Françaises 1939-1945. 

The original version also includes a chronology and maps of art depots in Paris and France, but I may be the nerd who loves all those things. 

You can purchase the book directly from the Monument’s Men and Women Foundation HERE for $45 and help support a fantastic organization dedicated to the many heroic stories of World War II. It is also available soon at Amazon.com HERE for $52. 

While you are at it, please take a second to sign the petition to enter Rose Valland in the French Pantheon. We have a LONG way to go, and every signature helps if you can share it with everyone you know and everyone you don’t know. Pass people on the street, ask them too. 

And when you do have the book, check out page XXV, you may find a name you know.

Last year, when the Monuments Men Foundation sent out a call for help in bringing this version to life, I couldn’t click fast enough. I was thrilled to be a part of it, even in the smallest way.

Paris Opening Ceremonies and the Art of the Louvre

Last night in the Paris 2024 Olympic Opening Ceremony for the ages a few heads were spotted in the Seine just past the Louvre. Not just any figures, they belong to some amazing paintings you can find inside the Louvre.

Starting from the Pont Royal is the stunning Madeline by Marie-Guilhelmine Benoist. The actual title of the piece is A Portrait of a Black Woman. Painted in 1800 it changed the landscape of art. Madeleine was a beautiful black woman who came from Guadalupe when Marie met her. Using the classic pose that she learned under J L David she placed Madeleine on a winged chair and draped her in white fabric with a touch of blue and red in the Empire style and suddenly transformed how black models were seen. 

Marie Guillemine de Laville-Leroux Benoist is a mostly unknown artist. Born December 18, 1768, in Paris into a political family which would help her enter into one of the most prestigious ateliers in Paris. 

At just 13 years old she began training with Elisabeth Vigee Le Brun who was the First Painter to Marie Antoinette. Her talent was noticed and in 1784 she exhibited for the first time at the Salon a painting of her father. The 18th century wasn’t kind to female painters but under the lead of Le Brun, she was able to traverse the art world and get noticed by a few of the biggest names. 

In 1788, Marie was asked by Jacques Louis David to join his atelier. The king of the Neoclassical movement was happy to take women in as a way to get back at King Louis XVI who forbade women artists to train in the Louvre. At the time David lived and had his studio in the Louvre. Most women were relegated to painting flowers & landscapes, but David suggested she try her hand at historic subjects. 

In 1800 she created a painting that changed the landscape of art. After a visit to her brother-in-law's home, she met Madeleine and decided to paint a subject that was rarely seen in art at the time. Madeleine was a beautiful black woman who came from Guadalupe when Marie met her. Using the classic pose that she learned under David she placed Madeleine on a winged chair and draped her in white fabric in the Empire style and suddenly transformed how black models were seen. 

The model was unknown until a  few years ago before an exhibit at the Orsay unveiled her name. On June 27, 1818, the Director of the Maison du Roi purchased the painting with three of her other paintings. Under Louis XVIII the painting was sent to the Louvre. I wish she was somewhere where more people could discover her but until that day, be sure to search for her when you visit the Louvre. 

Listen to the episode of Paris History Avec a Hemingway that we did in 2021 to learn more about Marie

The next woman is featured in George de La Tours The Cheater with the Ace of Cards painted in 1636. Three grifters work together to steal the money of a rich young man by hiding an ace behind one of their backs. Our lady in the Seine is the Courtesan with a red hat decorated with an ostrich feather and pear drop earrings. The pearls are the giveaway that she is a prostitute. 

And you thought pearls were so classy.

Next, we have Muhammad Qasim’s Portrait of Shah Abbas Ier drawn in 1627. Sadly not on display in the Louvre at this time. The painting is of the Shah and his page boy who clutches a wine flask near the elder’s lap. I’ll let you figure out that symbolism. On the painting is a quote: 

“May life provide all that you desire from three lips: those of your lover, the river, and the cup.”

Rather fitting on the banks of the Seine. 

My other favorite painting that is sure to always catch the visitor’s eye is the presumed portrait of Gabrielle d’Estrées and her sister the Duchess of Villars. There is still a lot that is unknown about this painting, including that of the subject and the artist. Attributed to the Fontainebleau School in 1594, it is believed to be Gabrielle and her sister, the Duchess of Villars who held her nipple between her fingers, which was a gesture symbolizing pregnancy. Gabrielle would have been five months pregnant with the future Duke of Vendome, Henri IV’s illegitimate son. In Gabrielle’s left hand, she holds a ring between her fingers, the coronation ring of Henri– a token of his love and loyalty. In the background sits a woman sewing, could it be baby clothes. 
Gabrielle d’Estrées is a woman known more for her risque painting than for her life itself. Gabrielle was born around 1573, and daughter of Antoine d’Estrées, Baron de Boulonnois and Françoise de la Bourdaisieres. She was one of eleven children, seven of which were girls, and gave them the moniker “seven deadly sins” by the Marquis de Sevigné.

The union of Gabriele and Henri resulted in three children. Caesar in 1594, Catherine in 1596, and Alexandre in 1598. All three were legitimized in the eyes of the monarchy and the church as Henri’s children. In 1599 she became pregnant again. Each of her pregnancies was very easy, but this fourth was giving her a lot of issues. Sick every day she struggled for five months. 

On April 6, 1599, she left Henri behind at Fontainebleau, it was just a few days before their wedding planned for April 11, Easter. She cried and sobbed and had to be pulled off of him, on what would be the last time she saw her love. On April 7 she dined with Sebastion Zamet, an  Italian who had arrived in France with Catherine de Medici and was also close with Marie de Medici. That night at dinner when she said she wasn’t feeling well, Zamet gave her a frosted lemon. The next day she began having contractions and pains, she was only 5 months along. 

The baby had already died and doctors tried to figure out what to do as she got worse. After a day her face and neck suddenly turned black leaving the doctors baffled. When word finally reached Henri at Fontainebleau he travelled to Paris as fast as he could but it would be too late. On April 10, at just 26 years old Gabrielle would die, the day before their intended wedding. 

Distraught, Henri planned a lavish funeral at the Eglise Saint Germain l’Auxerrois fit for a queen. Henri dressed in black for months, shocking most as white was the normal color for royals in mourning. A lifelike effigy was created and placed in the room next to his where he would sit with her and eat his meals. 

Gabrielle was buried at the Abbey de Maubuisson where her sister was a nun and her children stayed close to their father.  Less than a year later Henri would marry Marie de Medici. 

Listen to Gabrielle’s story here

Each one of the figures has a story. A mistress, a courtesan, a former slave, and a gay man. If they had shown the entire painting many viewers may have clutched their pearls but here, we see them as perfection.

Saint Louis and the Crown of Thorns

Each Friday afternoon until Easter the most important relic in the world makes an appearance for the faithful to see at the Eglise Saint Germain l’Auxerrois. Since the fire on April 15, 2019, the Crown of Thorns has been safely hidden away but does make an appearance on a few very holy days of the year until its grand return to its home, the Cathedral Notre Dame de Paris. 

But why is it in Paris you ask? The Crown of Thorns and other instruments of the Passion were purchased in 1238 by King Louis IX, later known as Saint Louis, and brought to Paris. However, let’s back up a little further. The crown was said to have been discovered in the 4th century after Emperor Constantine ordered what was thought to be the tomb of Christ to be opened. His mother Sainte Hélène came along and found the Crown, True Cross, and Nails, parts of the Instruments of the Passion, and set up a chapel in Jerusalem to hold them. 

Between 614 and 637 when the city of Jerusalem was captured the relics began their voyage to Constantinople. For centuries they stayed until the Byzantine city was conquered at the beginning of the 13th century and given to the Latin Emperor in hopes that it would protect the now fractured capital.
Cousin to Saint Louis, Boudoin II, Emperor of Constantinople came to France asking him to help with a massive debt he had incurred when he borrowed money from the Venetians and gave the crown as collateral. Boudoin II in return for his help would give Louis and France the Crown of Thorns.  

This wasn’t an easy transaction, the Venetian barons were in such desperate need of money they borrowed against the relics and sped up the clock. The French envoy had to race to Venice to retrieve them in time or they would become the property of Venice.  Saint Louis sent Dominicans, Jacques, and André right away to grab the relics as Jacques could also authenticate that they were the real items.  The deadline was June 18 and the Feast of Saint Gervais and Protais, if not purchased by that day it would forever be the property of Venice. 

Jaques and André arrived a day before on June 17, 1238, and were met with a new challenge and price tag. 

Louis had already paid 21,000 pounds to free the Crown but as Jacques and André arrived they were given a new bill for 137,000 pounds! It was half of the budget of the French monarchy but Louis happily paid the fee and agreed to allow the Venetians to hold onto the Crown for the faithful to see one last time in Saint Marks. Negotiations took six months and in December 1238, the Crown finally made its way to overland to  France to the small town of Villeneuve-l’Archeveque near Sens.

On August 10, 1239, Louis arrived and Archbishop Gauthier carried the relics out and placed them into his hands. The next day, Saint Louis, his mother Blanche de Castille, and brother Robert d’Artois left by boat on the Yonne River to Vincennes on the edge of Paris. 

On August 18, Louis in a simple tunic and barefoot walked the Crown into Paris and to Notre Dame before taking the Crown to the Palais de la Cité and holding it in the Chapel of St Nicolas until the perfect reliquary could be created. 

Not just any building would do for one of the most important relics in the world. Two years later in the autumn of 1241, the construction of the Sainte Chapelle began. The same year Louis acquired a large piece of the Holy Cross, a vial of the Holy Blood, and the Tombstone. The following year the Holy Sponge and Spear came into his possession and were all placed in Sainte Chapelle after it was finished and consecrated on April 26, 1248. 

They would remain in the jewel box church until March 1787. In 1791 the Conseil d’Etat suppressed the church and sequestered the relics and on March 12 they were removed for safekeeping and taken to the Abbey of Saint-Denis in a cardboard box. In the dark of nigh between November 11 & 12, 1793 the relics were taken to the mint and melted down and destroyed. Only the Crown and piece of the True Cross survived. 

In October 1804, just two months before his coronation, Napoleon had the relics transferred to Notre Dame on August 10, 1806, where they would remain until July 29, 1830. During the Three Glorious Days, Archbishop Hyacinthe Louis de Quélen fled the church with the relics under his arm while an angry mob broke into the Cathedral. 

In 1855 they were safely back in Notre Dame and architect Violette-le-Duc created a perfect container for the Crown and Reliquary to hold them until April 15, 2019. 

On the night of the fire in April 2019 after we watched the spire and the rooster fall from the sky the next fear was the relics of the Sacristy and the Crown. The very tight security that the crown is kept in made it difficult in that high-pressure moment. Tucked away into the floor of the back chapel is a series of combination key locks that require two keys. The keys are normally never together. That night in a state of panic the two key holders had to fight through the crowd to reach Notre Dame. The keys were handed to the chaplin of the Pompiers de Paris Jean-Marc Fournier put his life on the line and rushed into the cathedral to save the Crown of Thorns. 

Since that night the Crown is safely locked away and comes out the first Friday of each month and each Friday of Lent in the Eglise Saint Germain l’Auxerrois from 3 pm to 5 pm. The veneration of the crown that occurs when the Crown of Thorns is shown was created by Saint Louis and not the Catholic church. The very specific ceremony and showing of the relic can only happen during Easter as put in place over 785 years ago to celebrate the resurrection. 

Open to the faithful,  historians, and anyone who wants to see the priceless relic. Standing nearby are the  Knights of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem who guard the crown and honor the wishes originally created in the 13th century. 

I can’t wait for Easter 2025 when the ceremony will once again be held inside the walls of Notre Dame de Paris.  Stay tuned for more about the reliquaries and Saint Louis and the Crown has been depicted in art and stained glass and where you can find them in Paris. 

Psyché et l'Amour, the Ultimate Love Story

As you walk through the Musée du Louvre you may come across a few figures over and over captured in the paintings and statues and wonder who they are. Today being Saint Valentine’s Day it’s a perfect time to share the story of Psyché et l’Amour and how it is told in the art of my true love, the Musée du Louvre. 

Pysché was the beautiful daughter of a Greek king and had two sisters. Her sisters were joined in marriage to other royalty but Psyché was so beautiful that the men only wanted to look at her and not ask for her hand. Her father was distraught and went to the Temple of Apollo to talk to the Oracle of Delphi who told him Psyché was destined to be married to a beast that even the gods would fear. 

There was only one thing to do. She was to dress in funeral attire and go to the highest peak in the area and await her fate. Psyché and her father did just that and as they waited nothing happened. To end her pain she decided to jump to her death. As she fell Zephyr, the god of the West Wind arrived and carried her off to a meadow. When she awoke she wandered into a house of golden columns and cupboards filled with gold.

Zephyr enlevet Psyché par Heri-Joseph Rutxhiel

Drawn to the bedroom she lays on a beautiful bed and Cupid, in his god-like form that was invisible to her, begins to make love to her. Night after night this man that she can not see comes to her. When she tells her sister about her nightly visitor they tell her that she needs to see who he is and make sure it is not the beast the Oracle had promised. One night while her mysterious love slept she crawled from bed, picked up an oil lamp, and held it close to his face. As she leaned over to take a closer look she was stunned at how beautiful the god of love was. Backing away suddenly she pierced herself with one of his arrows, the oil dripped on the handsome god and he was awoken. 

Psyché et Cupid par Francois Gérard

Cupid suddenly flees and is stunned by her betrayal. Psyché abandoned and distraught, goes to the temple of Ceres and asks for help to find her love. However, she is a mortal and the gods could not assist her, but Venus might be able to. Venus was the mother of Cupid and she was already well aware of the beautiful mortal that was stealing the heart of her son. 

Venus wore the crown as the most beautiful woman in the world and wasn’t happy that her title was being threatened. She told Psyché she needed to complete four tasks and if she did that she would consider helping her, but these tasks were impossible and Venus figured she would be rid of her once and for all.

Cupid et Psyché par Francois Nicolas Delaistre ( i left them a little chocolate heart)

The first task was to separate a large pile of grains and beans. Psyché decided the task was too difficult and instead went to a wedding.  That night when she returned rather drunk she was amazed to see the task was complete. The insects were drawn to her beauty and separated the grains and beans for her. 

Psyché surprend l’Amour endormi par Louis Jean-Francois Lagrenée

Task number two was to return to Venus the golden wool of the sheep of Helios. These sheep were very violent and as she tried to get close they would run her off. Suddenly a strong wind came through and their golden wool was blown off and caught on the briars which she could easily gather. Venus couldn’t believe she completed each of these tasks. 

The third was to collect the black water from the river Styx that fell from the high rocks guarded by dragons. Jupiter saw the young girl struggling and sent his eagle to combat the dragons and gather the water. 

Psyché Abandonée par Augustin Pajou

The final task was the hardest and impossible in the eyes of Venus who needed to put an end to this girl that was charming the gods and creatures. Psyché must bring back the drops from Proserpina, the queen of the underworld that would promise every lasting beauty. Psyché felt there wasn’t any way she could survive this and climbed to a tall peak where she was going to end her life. Suddenly she heard a voice that told her what she needed to do to pass the tests of the underworld. She must remain silent, bring cakes for the three-headed dog Cerberus and two coins for Charon the ferryman and she would succeed. 

L’Enlevement de Psyché par Adriaen de Vries

She did just that and obtained the vial was instructed not to open it and began her return to Venus. Mercury takes her in his arms and flies to Venus but when she arrives her curiosity gets the best of her and she opens the vial. With one whiff she fell into a deep sleep. In a lovely meadow of flowers, Cupid discovered her and thought she had died. He picked her up and placed a kiss on her lips and she awakened. Knowing his mother was going to be a problem he took Psyché to Zeus and asked for his help and that he could marry her. He gathered the gods and they all agreed. Psyché was given a vial of Ambrosia to drink that would transform her into the Goddess of the Soul and Venus would have to accept her. 

Psyché Ranimeé par le baiser de l’Amour par Antonio Canova

Panthéonisation of Rose Valland

Rose Valland, the heroine of France died on September 18, 1980, at 82 years old. She devoted her entire life to art and the restitution that so many families sought.  Rose was a very quiet child with a thirst for knowledge. Born in 1898 her mother had to apply for grants so she could attend university In 1918 she began at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Lyon which would take her to Paris where she would attend the Beaux-Arts, Sorbonne, and Ecole du Louvre. 

Incredibly smart she was able to absorb everything she read and learned languages quickly. All of this would be useful in 1939 as Hitler and his thirst for art was moving across Europe. Rose spent the war years at the Jeu de Paume, cataloging everything with her photographic memory, noting every piece of art, where it was taken from, and where it was going.  Quiet and rather plain looking they never saw her as a threat but she put her life in danger every day.

After the war, Rose was an integral part of the Ministry of Culture, and the Monuments Men to retrieve more than 60,000 pieces including paintings, statues & objets d’art. 

In 1968 she officially retired but never stopped working. Just after the war, she met Joyce Heer a British translator working for the US Embassy. They lived together in her small apartment on Rue de Navarre until they moved to a cottage in Ris-Orangis.  Rose continued to write and published three books dedicated to art and the race to save it.  Joyce died in 1977 and Rose lived out her remaining years alone, surrounded by her notes and books until she died in 1980.  The two are buried together in Saint-Étienne-de-Saint-Geoire, where she grew up. 

One of my largest driving principles is that everyone knows how amazing Rose Valland was. I am thrilled to see that there is now a petition to have her interred in the Pantheon. The highest honor for any figure in French history and one she deserves more than anyone. Please sign the petition and share it with anyone you know. 

We released a wonderful podcast about her in 2020 and if you haven’t listened to it yet please do so you can learn more about this amazing and brave woman. Links at Claudinehemingway.com  #paris

SIGN THE PETITION HERE

The Masterpiece of a Tragedy

Many know the large painting hanging in the Salle Mollien of the Louvre by Théodore Géricault but did you know it was based on a true story? Le Radeau de la Méduse (The Raft of the Medusa) was painted in 1818 when Géricault was 27 years old. It depicts the story of the French ship Medusa, a 40-gun Pallas frigate that was used during the Napoleonic Wars in 1810. On June 17, 1816, the Medusa left the port of Aix alongside three other ships in the fleet; the Loire, Argus, and Echo. 

The Medusa captain Viscount Hugues Duroy de Chaumereys decided to make up some time and passed the other ships. A novice captain, Chaumereys hasn't been on a ship in over twenty years and was chosen by Louis XVIII for his dedication to the Bourbons. 

On 2 July 1816 the Medusa hit a sandbar on the West African coast at the Banc d’Arguin, 80 km off the Mauritania coast. Following three days of trying to free the Medusa from its captivity in the sand, it was decided that the crew would abandon the ship. Only six small boats were available and would hold only half of its crew and were reserved mostly for the elite and high-ranking officers.  A raft was quickly built to hold the heavy items on board. Guns, casks of wine, water, and food tied the raft to the boats but when it was difficult to navigate the captain decided to cut the raft loose.  When the raft was set free 147 people clung to the partially submerged makeshift plank. 

The worst was to happen with only biscuits, two casks of water, and casks of wine (gotta love the French) and floating under the hot sun. As their raft mates died, they were eaten by the others to survive or pushed into the sea. Many men dived directly into the sea to their death. Thirteen days later on July 17, only fifteen members remained when the Argus spotted them. Five more men died before they reached shore, and only ten men survived the two-week ordeal. 

The following February, Chamereys had to face the court and was sentenced to three years in prison. The story captured all of France and when a story was published in November 1817, the young Théodore Géricault was drawn in. The story interviewed two of the servers Henri Savigny and Alexandre Corréard recalling their harrowing tales. Géricault was enthralled and reached out to meet with the two men. With their help, he began to sketch and even make a scale model of the raft and captured the moment that was just two hours before they were saved. They even serve as models for a few of the men in the final painting. So dedicated to getting every detail correct, Géricault spent time at the morgue and even brought body parts from the hospital to his studio to study how the body decays. 

Survivor Alexandre Corréard was an engineer and journalist who wrote the eyewitness account of the tragedy and published it. That act had him fired from his job as an engineer which led him to seek a license on September 9, 1818, and open a bookstore at the Palais Royal.  He named his shop, Au Naufrage de la Medusa, and people flocked to the store to buy the book and meet the author. 

Doctor Henri Savigny, was one of three that volunteered to take the raft. On his arrival in Paris, he testified at the Ministry of the Navy against the captain. When he co-authored the detailed account with Corréard he found instant fame. One other man that was integral to the raft was carpenter Valery Touche-Lavilette. Born on April 26, 1789, he served in the Imperial Guard for two years and was asked to go to Senegal to hope for colonization. It was Valery that help create and build the raft that stayed afloat the entire voyage. 

Their eyewitness accounts were the bases of Géricault’s early sketches of the painting. Two of which can be found in the Louvre, show a few slight differences from the final version. The first sketch shows the raft’s position off from the one we know so well. If you look closely at each of the figures you can see how they changed and why I love to find earlier sketches of these monumental works. It’s like getting a glimpse into the artist's mind. 

The piece became so large that Géricault had to rent a studio to hold the canvas that was 16 x 23 feet and added to its mystique. A good friend, Eugene Delacroix, paid a visit to the atelier on the Rue Saint Honoré, and after he saw the piece he ran home through the streets amazed and inspired if you look at Liberty Leading the People you see Géricault’s influence in the lower left of the painting.

The large painting perfectly captures the fear and urgency of the effort to survive. When you look at it, it can bring all sorts of emotions. On the lower left side, the older man draped in a red cloth holds his dead son's body at the edge of the raft with a look of total despair. In the foreground, the men look to be barely holding onto life and the raft and ready to be swept to sea from the high waves about to break over them. Géricault added twenty figures when in truth it was fifteen historically at the time. If you look at the man in the bottom right corner, the one with his face down is his dear friend Delacroix. 

In the center of the painting, the men have discovered a boat and are pointing it out to the others. At the top of the pyramid, the model discovered a few years ago in the amazing Black Model exhibit at the Musée d'Orsay, is Joseph. Joseph was a stunning model from Santo Domingo that arrived in Paris in 1804. Géricault loved to paint him and used him for three figures and is also the hero of the painting. Raising the red scarf high above him he signals the ship that will eventually save them. 

On August 25, 1819, The Raft of the Medusa was presented at the salon under the name Scene of the Shipwreck. Winning the gold medal but being left without a buyer, it was deemed a failure. The painting returned to his studio until the next year when he was paid 20,000 francs to bring it to London in the Egyptian Hall of Piccadilly then it was onto Dublin in 1821. 

The Louvre on behalf of the director general  Count Auguste de Forbin purchased the painting on November 12, 1824, for 6,000 and since then it has hung in the Louvre. It was saldy 10 months after Gericault died. In 1859 the Louvre ordered a copy that you can see today in Amiens at the Picardy Museum. Pierre Desire Guillemet and Etienne Antoine Ronjat created the copy.

Gericault use a substance called bitumen which made the dark browns and black darker. Bitumen never fully dries and the painting could not be rolled or it would stick to each itself and tear. During the evacuation of the Louvre on September 3, 1939, the large canvas traveled through Versailles on a truck used to move stage scenery. As it went through the town it hit a power line and knocked the power out of the golden town. The Raft was hidden away during the war in the Chateau de Chambord. Since its return in 1945, it has hung on the first floor of the Denon wing in the red room of the Salle Mollien just a few steps from the Mona Lisa. Look at all of the paintings in this room including Delacroix and the other Romantic artists and see the way they each speak to each other.

Théodore Géricault wouldn’t live much longer after he painted his masterpiece. Dying at just 32 years old on January 26, 1824. You can visit his tomb at the Pere Lachaise and find a bronze basrelief of the Raft done by Antoine Étex, but notice that they covered the naked naughty parts of the gentleman falling into the water. 

The painting is also a good test of how you see the world. Which parts strike you the most? Are you an optimist or a pessimist? Do you see the hope and elation at the top or is it the despair at the lower portion? Either way, it is a masterpiece and I never get tired of sitting in front of it alone on an early morning before the room is filled or sharing it with clients.

Notre Dame from Building to Renaissance

For the last week, we have been celebrating Notre Dame de Paris. We are finally closer to the reopening than the fire, and we are all thrilled. On Instagram, Facebook, and last weekend’s live video I have shared the many stories of the cathedral from the people that made her what she is today to the treasures that will return once it has opened its doors. 

In the Trocadero a museum few people make it to where you can find a fantastic evolving exhibition that explores Notre Dame from the Builders to the Restoration. The 

The Palais du Trocadero holds two museums, including one of my favorites the Cité de l’Architecture and the Musée de l’Homme. Each is rarely visited and holds amazing views of the Eiffel Tower.  The Architecture Museum was created by Alexandre Lenoir who saved many of the monuments and tombs from destruction during the Revolution. Originally housed in the Ecole des Beaux-Arts it was another major figure in French architectural history that made the museum come to fruition. Eugene Viollet-le-Duc the master behind the renovation of Notre Dame not only created it but much of the inside is dedicated to the work he did and on Notre Dame itself. 

The first pieces of Notre Dame were added in September 2019 when two of the former statues were put on display before they were restored.  Of course, after that, we ran into a bit of a pandemic and the museum was closed for a bit but when it reopened in 2021 a wonderful addition was added. All 16 statues that once lined the roof including St Thomas as Viollet-le-Duc with his head turned and looking up at his spire. 

As the restoration progresses so does the exhibit at the Cité de l’Architecture. At the start, it’s hard not to be reminded of that tragic day but also how lucky we were to still have the Cathedral standing. A large image that falls from the sky is a birdseye view into the cathedral the morning after the fire. Charged timber stacks in the center of the transept and in the back the pieta and golden cross shine as the witness to that unbelievable night. 

As you walk through survivors of that night are on display. The burned reminders were one of the 13th forest that was the equivalent of 52 acres of trees and stones that fell from the ceiling onto the marble floor. Each one of those stones will be reused in the rebuilding if they are structurally sound. Surrounding the area are video monitors with interviews with Philippe Villeneuve, architect to Notre Dame since 2013, and other officials involved in bringing her back to life. 

For the armchair engineer or architect, there are scientific specifics of the cathedral and how they are using technology today to advance the techniques that were used in the 12th and 19th centuries. Digital Date groups analyzed the entire structure for exact plans. Stone masons and engineers are using the fallen stones to locate each stone's makeup and where they can find the closest exact copy. Stained Glass technicians are able to use special cameras to look into the health of the glass including the two 13th-century rose windows. 

Going back to the 19th-century restoration of Viollet-le-Duc and Lassous the drawings from the two architects hands as well as Adolphe-Victor Geoffroy-Dechaume Culvre's drawings of the rooster and many of the statues

The roof was known as the “forest” as it was made up of over 1300 trees, the equivalent of 52 acres. All of them were lost in the fire and within a few weeks 273 donations rolled in for more than enough timber coming from around France. Half of the donations came from private land and the other half from public forests. A team of devoted lumberjacks that know their land well we’re able to quickly find the perfect trees. They needed to be 4 feet wide and at least 88 feet high. Harvesting began within a year with the first tree cut on March 5, 2020, by Daniel Pichon of Pichon Freres. 

On display is a fascinating example of each of the steps from a fallen tree to a shaped beam that will once again hold up the lead-covered roof. 1000 more are needed just for the spire that is being rebuilt to the exact specific plans of Viollet-le-Duc. There are drawing and the original 1860 model on hand for you to get an idea of just how many trees are used for the spire to rise from the roof once again. 

Getting an in-depth and close-up look at this amazing adventure is something that you must see. Take the time to read each and every plaque and watch the videos featuring the skilled men and women bringing the world’s Notre Dame de Paris back to life. 

The Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine is open Wednesday thru Monday 11 am - 7 pm and on Thursdays until 9 pm. Tickets are 9€ and the exhibit runs until April 29, 2024. 

If you are coming to Paris reach out for a special Notre Dame tour with me sharing all these details and so much more and visiting the four special exhibits this year and next in Paris,

A Hidden Treasure of Notre Dame

When the fire spread through the roof of Notre Dame de Paris on April 15, 2019, we all looked on in horror. However as bad as it looked, it could have been far worse, and in the days following hopeful little signs appeared. 

Statues, paintings, and the all important relics were saved as well as another treasure that few knew even existed. Rolled up and pushed away in a large box under some benches was a carpet so grand that it lay in the choir to baptize a prince. Over 80 feet long and rolled away it was drowned in two tons of water. When Herve Lemoine, director of the Mobilier National had a chance to see the carpet he was worried it would be damaged beyond repair. 

Unrolled, dried, frozen, and deprived of oxygen to kill any insects they were pleased to see the carpet was in very good shape except for a few dark spots that can be seen in the photos. Named the Drap d'Or (cloth of gold), the carpet dates back to 1825 when King Charles X had it commissioned to be placed in the church when he was in attendance for mass. Created from the drawing by Jacques Louis de la Hamayde de Saint-Ange the carpet went through a few changes before it was ever finished. 

The Manufacture Royale de la Savonnerie was tasked with the job of weaving the immense carpet. On September 15, 1825, at a former soap factory near the Trocadero that was large enough to hold the loom, the weaving began. 

Saint-Ange design included a large white cross with the French coat of arms in the center and the monogram of Charles X. Fleur-de-Lis and the necklace of the order of St Michel and the Holy Spirit encircled the coat of arms. Golden vines with grapes and colorful leaves wind around the cornucopias with a neo-classical reliquary on the lower portion. Around a large candlestick are a miter and other attributes of the church that are around the symbols of the four evangelists. At the top an eagle of St John, the angel of St Matthews, the Lion of St Marc, and the Ox of St Luke. 

The Three Glorious Days that marked the Revolution that ousted Charles X put a halt to the project and the design of the carpet.  Under Louis-Phillippe the Bourbon symbols were removed and the fleur-de-lis and necklace as well as any markings of the former king. It was finally completed in 1833 and was placed in the Galerie d’Apollon of the Louvre for all to see it.  On May 2, 1841, it would be used for the first event in Notre Dame, the baptism of the grandson of Louis-Philippe, Philippe d’Orleans. 

Under Napoleon III, it was used for the baptism of his son, Price Louis Napoleon on June 14, 1856. Following the end of the 2nd empire, the carpet was used once more for a visit of Tsar Nicolas II until it was rolled away for over 80 years. A papal visitation by John Paul II was a great reason to use the colorful carpet once more on May 30, 1980. Mostly forgotten and rolled away it would return in 2017 for a 10-day exhibit open to the public just after Christmas on January 4th. 

Following the fire and the months of treatment to rid it of insects, it was a real treat to see it in person at the 2019 Journée du Patrimoine in the Mobilier National.  The colors are stunning and vibrant and all the emotions and tears came to the surface as soon as I saw it. 

On July 7, 2022 the restoration of the carpet began by a highly skilled group of masters trained in historic repair began. In a large room with looms with massive windows so the natural light streams in they work for endless hours on each detail of the treasured carpet. The carpet itself weighs over a thousand pounds and a dozen men are needed to lift and shift it just a few more inches. Luckily the carpet was in amazing shape after the fire, although the lower portion at one point was glued to the canvas with fish skin adhesive in the 19th century and has hardened making it impossible to get a needle through. 

They will replace the edging and any dark spots and next year it will return to Notre Dame for us all to see once more. 

We will have to see if they will return it on display this September during the Journée du Patrimoine weekend but if you are in Paris plan a trip to the Mobilier National, just in case.

Le Marchand de Masques

The Jardin du Luxembourg is the perfect oasis on the left bank of Paris. Recently we have shared a few of the more than 105 statues and monuments on the Paris History Avec a Hemingway on the La Vie Creative podcast. You can take these episodes with you as you explore the garden on your own, or better yet book a tour with me when you come to Paris. 

I have a tough time narrowing down my “favorite” pieces of art in the Louvre and Orsay and the Jardin du Luxembourg is no different. It’s impossible but one that is very high on my favorites list is Le Marchand de Masques by Zacharie Astruc—located in the center of the southeast path under a canopy of trees. 

Le Marchand de Masques, the mask seller, was created on February 17, 1883, in plaster and shown to the State that commissioned statues left and right for the garden. Astruc’s statue of a boy surrounded by the greats of the time was an instant favorite and ordered on the spot. It took almost three years and on February 20, 1886, the statue of a boy was inaugurated. 

Zacharie Astruc was an artist and an art critic and very close with a rag-tag group of young guys shaking up the art scene in Paris. As an art critic, he defended Manet, Monet, and the Impressionists when very few did and was even immortalized with them in Henri Fantin-Latour’s Atelier aux Batignolles hanging in the Orsay. 

I love to find group paintings and sculptures and deep dive into who they are all and this one is a real goodie. Buckle up and let’s jump in. The young boy is surrounded on the base by eight masks of contemporary figures of the time. Authors, composers, and artists, many of which aren’t as well known today, which always makes it so much fun for me to dig into. 

When the sculpture was first unveiled in 1886 there were twelve masks, today we see only nine.  First things first, In his left hand he holds high above his head the mask of the king of the Romantic authors Victor Hugo. Hugo died just one year before the statue was displayed in the Luxembourg but was no stranger at that point to statues dedicated to him at this point in his life.  It’s rather fitting that he is seen at the top as each of the men below in one way or another. 

At the base where you can get nice and close let’s jump into the eight men. Starting in the front we see author Jules Barbey d’Aurevilly.  Born on November 2, 1808, in Normandy, Jules was a mystery writer that at times ventured into horror and obscure crimes. A defender of fellow artists Balzac and Baudelaire while he also criticized Zola and Hugo.  Aurevilly died in Paris on April 23, 1889. 

Next to Aurevilly is Alexandre Dumas fils, the illegitimate son of  Alexandre Dumas, bien sûr. Born in 1824, the author used his time with courtesan Marie Duplessis as inspiration for La Dame aux Camélias in 1848. In the story, Marguerite would wear a camelia against her chest, white when she was available and red when she was taken. He spent much of his life working against the feelings he had of his childhood but made just as big of a name for himself as a writer as his father did. 

Composer and writer Hector Berlioz was born on December 11, 1803. Largely unknown you can just watch France in the World Cup this week and hum along to a little piece he did. Berlioz updated and added the elaborately orchestrated flair to the  French national anthem, La Marseillaise written by Rouget de Lisle. Written by Lisle in 1795 it was outlawed during the Restoration but returned in 1830.

Next to Berlioz is a name you may recognize as a devoted reader. Jean Baptiste Carpeaux, born May 11, 1827, studied under Francois Rude and became the darling of Napoleon III as he carved through the city. The Danse, which caused him much notoriety on the Palais Garnier was attacked with ink for its risque depiction of nudity. You can see the original now in the Musée d’Orsay along with the model for the Fontaine des Quatre-Parties de Monde and the Pavillon de Flore on the southwest corner of the Louvre. 

Jean-Baptiste Faure was a composer and opera singer born in Moulins on January 15, 1830. His father served as a cantor at Notre Dame. As a young man, he worked as the assistant to the organist at Notre Dame and Notre Dame de Chardonnet. What he may be known a bit more for is his immense collection of Impressionist paintings. He first collected the works of Ingres, Duprey, and two gents on this monument, Delacroix and Corot. In 1878 Faure purchased a painting that shocked all of Paris, Manet’s Déjeuner sur l’herbe. Alongside more than 65 other Manets, he also had 16 by Degas, 37 by Pisarro, and 58 by Sisley. As well as many more amassing over 800 paintings held in his apartment. He frequently sold many thorough dealers Paul Durand-Ruel. After Manet’s death, Faure and Durand-Ruel organized a large exhibit but didn’t put him in a good light with the artist’s family that saw him as a vulture. 

The man next to Faure needs no introduction at all. My main man Eugene Delacroix and if you are keeping count, it is the 3rd time he appears in the Jardin du Luxembourg.  Born on April 26, 1798, the young Delacroix moved to Paris in 1806 and began to study in the atelier of Narcisse Guérin and at 24 years old he shared his first piece in the Salon.  Delacroix believed that artists should contribute large pieces to public places as that is how they will be remembered. Hotel de Ville, Palais Bourbon, and the Palais du Luxembourg as well as multiple churches including the nearby Saint Sulpice. Delacroix moved to the Rue de Furstemberg on December 28, 1857, to be closer to Saint Sulpice where he was installing three paintings dedicated to angels. Commissioned in 1849 they were finally finished in 1861. In a letter to a friend, he said they would be the death of him. On August 13, 1863, the master died in his home not far from this spot. 

Author Honoré de Balzac was the master of novels as we know them today. Born on May 20, 1799, he was immediately sent off to live with a nurse for the first four years of his life. The feelings he had of his early childhood would remain with him his whole life. Balzac lived all over Paris trying to outrun his creditors and writing at a breakneck speed. La Comedie Humaine paved the way for the writers of today. Written from 1830 to 1856, Balzac continues the stories from one book to the next, the first “series”. The image of Balzac is a little less frightening in Austruc’s version as opposed to Rodin’s which I am sure Balzac would be pleased with, 

Lastly, we have artist Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot born on July 16, 1796, in Paris on the Rue du Bac. His parents ran a successful clothing and wig shop and wanted him to follow in their footsteps but art was on his mind. Traveling throughout Europe he was able to devote all his time to the landscapes and architecture of Italy and France, many of which can be seen in the Louvre. Corot is known as the Father of Impressionism and one only needs to walk to the end of the 2nd floor of the Sully wing in the Louvre to see how it went from Delacroix to Corot to the Impressionists. 

Originally three other masks hung from the seller’s right hand but disappeared over time. The mask of Léon Gambetta, politician and president of the French Council who was greatly opposed to Napoleon III and lover of Valtese de la Bigne. Today his heart is placed in a very large urn as you enter the crypt of the Pantheon and a monument once stood dedicated to him in the Cour Napoleon of the Louvre where the Pyramid now greets guests. 

Charles Gounod, a composer of more than 500 pieces was born on the nearby Place Saint Andre des Arts on June 17, 1818, and also studied theology at Saint Sulpice. 

And lastly a mask of Theodore de Banville, a poet and great friend to Victo Hugo and Arthur Rimbaud and urged the young poet to come to Paris. 

I hope you venture a little deeper and closer at all the great statues in the Jardin du Luxembourg and all over Paris and even take this with you when you go. 

Coming to Paris soon, book a tour with me and I will share all these and so many more with you, All tours are private and customized to what you want to see, 

Check out ClaudineHemingway.com and even reply to this email. Dates in the spring are filling fast and would love to see you soon.

Just a Few of the Great Women in French history

Today on this International Women’s Day is the perfect time to share a few of my favorite women from our podcast,  La Vie Creative - Paris History Avec a Hemingway. 

The first episode of Paris History Avec a Hemingway premiered on May 20, 2020, and since then we have shared 146 stories of the women of Paris and some of which I have become very attached to. Our first episode featured Suzanne Valadon who is widely known as a model for Renoir but became a prolific artist herself. Her life story is one of ups and downs and twists and turns but fascinating that she sat in front of the great artists and became one herself as a woman. 

I have adored their stories of commitment and creativity and their wish to forge their own path and not be satisfied with being a wife, mother, or nun which were the only roles available for hundreds of years. 

Rose Valland my favorite woman in French history is mostly unknown to many including the French. The heroine devoted her entire life to art and the restitution that so many families were looking for.  Rose was a very quiet child with a thirst for knowledge. Born in 1898 her mother had to apply for grants so she could attend university. In 1918 she began at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Lyon which would take her to Paris where she would attend the Beaux-Arts, Sorbonne, and École du Louvre.

Incredibly intelligent she was able to absorb everything she read and learned languages quickly. All of this would come in handy in 1939 as Hitler and his thirst for art were moving across Europe. Rose spent the war years at the Jeu de Paume, cataloging everything with her photographic memory, noting every single piece of art, whom it was taken from, and where it was going.  Quiet, fluent in German, and rather plain looking they never saw her as a threat but she put her life in danger every single day.

After the war, the French government, the Minister of Culture, and the Monuments Men would use her and her notes to retrieve more than 60,000 works including paintings, objets d’art, and Jewish religious pieces. Without Rose, most of this art would have been lost or destroyed. 

Another amazing woman is Johanna van Gogh Bonger, the wife of Theo and sister-in-law to Vincent. Theo’s death came just six months after his brother Vincent and Johanna were left with an apartment full of art, a young baby, and boxes of letters. 

Many told her to toss out the paintings, as they weren’t worth anything, but she loved her husband and her brother-in-law and wanted to do all she could to carry on Theo’s passion and support for his brother’s art. Saving every single letter from Vincent, many including sketches of paintings, these letters were a glimpse into his thoughts.

Theo had told her how to continue on after he was gone and when Johanna found the boxes of the letters she knew what she needed to do. Over time she transcribed each letter and publish them slowly. In a time when women were not art dealers, she began to exhibit Vincent’s paintings and sell them one by one.  She built a sought-after market for his works by slowly entering them into the art world. As each letter was released the story of Vincent's short life began to take shape. If it wasn’t for Johanna van Gogh Bonger we may never know Vincent, his life, or even have any of his art. She worked on it until her very last day and that original collection became the van Gogh museum in Amsterdam. 

There are many designers that have shaped fashion in France. However, before there were Dior and Louis Vuitton there was Jeanne Lanvin. Lanvin was a designer that paved the way for all the others but few know her name.  

Jeanne was born on January 1, 1867, in Paris at 35 Rue Mazarine. She was the oldest of eleven children to parents Bernard Lanvin and Sophie Blanche Deshayes. Her mother was a seamstress and taught Jeanne how to sew which came in very handy. At the age of 13, Jeanne got a job working at a hat shop.  In just three years she served as an apprentice milliner and in 1889 at 22 years old she opened her own shop in Paris on the Rue Boissy d'Anglas. 

Her hats were very popular with the Paris elite and she had a long waiting list for one, long before Chanel ever touched a hat. That same year she created her fashion house which would become the oldest fashion house in the world, still to this day. 

From hats, she moved on to designing clothes for her daughter Marie Blanche creating custom dresses complete with lavish fabrics and embellishments for the “little girls about town”. So many women begged her for the same designs that she pivoted her business and renamed it Lanvin Modes and began producing dresses for women as well for little ladies. 

In 1909, she expanded the store again taking up more of the block that included the young lady and women's department. In 1918, after a weekend at the coast and a vacation in the mountains, she saw a need for sportswear, long before ol Coco. Lanvin designed swimsuits, beach and tennis wear, and everything you need for a weekend of skiing. Jeanne also created an entire men’s department, creating suits and casual fashion and becoming the first designer to dress the entire family. 

In 1924, she created her own fragrance, My Sin. Only designer Paul Poiret had done this before her, again long before you know who.

Jeanne Lanvin’s name is one that is not as well known as so many other designers and she was fine with that. Karl Lagerfeld later criticized her for her low-key persona and Coco looked at her as one of her greatest rivals. Today everyone thinks it was Coco that pioneered perfume, sportswear, hats, and the color black, but just like everything else that many people know about Chanel, it is completely wrong. It is Jeanne Lanvin whom we owe so much. 

To know more about the true story of who Coco Chanel really is, listen to this episode. The woman who so many around the world admire was a horrible human being. A woman that turned in her Jewish employees to the Nazis. “Shopped” from Jewish homes and funded anti-Semitic pamphlets years before WWII and that is just the start of it. 

I can go on about these wonderful women and each one we have covered for days but the last one I will share today that you should know more about is Rosa Bonheur. 

Rosa Bonheur was born on March 16, 1822, in Bordeaux into a large family of artists. Her mother Sophie Marquis married Raymond Bonheur who was also her drawing teacher who painted landscapes of Bordeaux and instilled a love of art in all his children.

As a child when Rosa was struggling at school her mother used her love of drawing to her advantage. Asking Rosa to draw an animal for each of the letters of the alphabet was just the trick she needed. Her mother died when she was young and her school life suffered. Expelled twice her father finally took her out of school and focused on teaching her how to paint. 

Raymond specialized in Realism and to help Rosa he had their Paris home filled with animals. From squirrels and rabbits to ducks and sheep the young artist had all she needed to begin her life as a painter of animals. Once she needed more subjects she would visit farms in Levalois-Perret and the Bois de Boulogne. Rosa was lucky to have an artist as a father as few women were able to find teachers at the time. Spending her days in the Musée du Louvre as a copyist always being pulled to the master’s paintings of animals. At 19 years she was already showing her pieces at the Paris Salon and selling her paintings to avid collectors. 

Wanting to expand her repertoire Rosa went places few women were allowed. A frequent visitor at the slaughterhouses of Paris and the Ecole Nationale Veterinaire with her sketchbook and canvases in hand. Traipsing through the mud wasn’t easy for a woman in a dress, Like George Sand who came before her, dressing in pants was much easier and allowed her to mix with the male-dominated world.

Everything would change for her in 1855 when she painted the large tableau The Horse Fair. The 8 x 16-foot painting depicted a scene from the Paris horse market on the Boulevard de l'hôpital. Art dealer Ernest Gambart fell in love with it and purchased the painting along with the rights of reproduction and also took Rosa on as his client. The painting was sent to the UK and garnered the attention of Queen Victoria, which also came with an invitation from the queen. 

After the success of the Horse Fair, the French government commissioned her to paint another large painting. The Ploughing in the Nivernais of two teams of oxen pulling plows was painted in 1849. It’s a magnificent painting and lucky for us hangs in the Musée d’Orsay.
As a female painter in the 19th century, she was able to do something few other women did. She became an international star. The copies of the Horse Fair were selling all over England and the United States and Empress Eugenie was also an avid fan. In 1865 Eugenie urged her husband Napoleon III for quite some time to award Rosa the Legion of Honor for her work and for spreading French art around the world. He finally gave in with the stipulation that he would have nothing to do with it and it would be given without a formal ceremony. On June 10, 1865, Eugenie traveled to the Chateau de By and presented Rosa with the highest award a civilian could get.

This past fall the Musée d’Orsay held an amazing exhibit to mark the 200th anniversary of her birth and showed just how important she still is in French history. 

Listen to all of the stories of the wonderful lives of each of these women and so many more. Know of one that we haven’t covered yet, let me know and we would love to add her to our list.

Louis XIV and the Place des Victoires

This past Sunday on our weekly live walk of Paris we shared the beautiful Place des Victoires and the history of the Louis XIV statue. We ran into a roadblock at the end when I wanted to share the fantastic pieces that were saved from the original 17th-century monument in the Louvre, but you are lucky here they are with even more details. 

In 1685 Marshal de la Feuillade decided to create a large square not far from the Palais du Louvre. The gem of an architect Jules-Hardouin Mansart was chosen to create the harmonious group of buildings that would encircle a monument to Louis XIV. 

On August 10, 1678, the Treaty of Nijmegen was signed ending the Quadruple Alliance and the end of the Dutch war. France came out on the top by gaining control over Franche-Comté and many of the towns in northern France away from Spain. The original statue was created by Martin Van den Bogaert, known as Desjardins featured Louis XIV standing tall while victory crowns him with a laurel wreath. Below the statue were four bas-relief plaques created between 1681-1685 to commemorate the victories of Louis XIV on the base are the four captives that each represents each of the nations he defeated but each also shows a feeling and a stage of life. 

As most stories go, when we reach the Revolution a statue dedicated to a king would not survive. The Revolutionists shot down the statue in 1792 and the ol’ Sun King was melted down to create cannons. 

On August 10, 1792, the storming of the Tuileries that led to the absolving of the monarchy but also resulted in many deaths was then marked where Louis once stood with a pyramid covered with the names of those that died. The pyramid didn’t last long under the hot summer sun and fell apart. Under Napoleon, they decided to add another statue to General Claude Dejoux but the very tall nude statue was a bit shocking in all its, ummmm, glory and was partially covered to shield the eyes of the children. Louis XVIII had the statue of Dejoux melted down to recreate the statue of Henri IV on the Pont Neuf in 1814. 

Louis XVIII commissioned Francois-Joseph Bosio to create a statue of his great-great-grandfather Louis XIV that could once again be placed in the center of the Place des Victoires. Inaugurated on August 25, 1822, Louis XIV on his horse getting ready to charge into battle sits in the perfect position to catch the sun rising behind him on an early morning. 

The one thing that draws me to this statue is the history of the statue that came first because as with all things in my life, all roads lead to the Louvre. Technically the Rue Croix des Petits Champs just off Louis leads right to the Louvre. 

Inside the Richelieu wing in the lovely Cour Puget are 41 pieces of the former monument to the Sun King. While Louis himself didn’t make it past the Revolution they must have thought the captives, trophies, and bas-reliefs with the image of the king were ok to keep around, and for that I am grateful. 

As you walk into the Cour Puget it is hard not to be impressed by the immense size and detail of the men who are always the background of many selfies much to my chagrin.  As you walk to the right is the captive representing Spain but also a young man filled with hope. Going counterclockwise and behind Spain is Brandbourg who is an adult with the feeling of abetment, next to him is Holland in middle age and angry, and rounding out back to the front is the Empire, resigned to his old age. 

From left to right: Spain & Youth, Brandenburg & Adult, Holland & Anger, Empire & Old Age

In between each of the men are shields, signs, oars, quivers, and faisceau each done out of bronze with amazing detail. Get close to check out each and everyone as well as the hands and faces of the captives. 

On the eastern wall just behind are the 11 medallions that were once on the four large lampposts around the statue created in jasper marble on red marble bases. Originally there were 24 but only 9 of the 11 are the originals that were intended for the monument. Seven of the medallions after they were removed in 1718 ended up in England in the possession of King George III but returned to the Louvre by George IV. 

From left to right: The Submission of the Doge of Genoa by Desjardins. Set at Versailles bowing to Louis XIV he is being presented with the submission of his Republic after the French attack on Genoa. Louis XIV demanded he come to Versailles despite the fact he was forbidden to leave Genoa

The Reestablishment of the Swedish in Germany by Desjardins. The restoration of Pomerania to the Swedish by the Elector of Brandenburg under their Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye in 1679. Louis XIV thought this depiction was humiliating and demanded a new one made.

Victory of Saint Gotthard by Jean Arnould. Winged Victory is holding a palm leave and stands on trophies featuring oriental elements as crescents and turbans evoking the battle of 1665 between the Holy Roman Empire and aided by the king of France, and the turks near the monastery of Saint Gotthard in Hungary.

The Reestablishment of the Swedish in Germany by Jean Arnould The updated version that the king preferred.

Left to Right: The Magnificent Buildings of Versailles by Jean Arnould. The Nymph of the fountains of Versailles points to the chateau of Louis XIV seen from the Orangery. Behind is the Maintenon aqueduct that brought water to the palace fountains

The Junction of the Two Seas by Jean Arnould. Depicting the digging of the Canal des Deux-Mers (Canal du Midi) a technical masterpiece by Pierre-Paul Riquet and carried out from 1666- 1681. The canal links the Mediterranean on the left as the port of Sète to the Atlantic on the right represented with the Cordouan lighthouse

The Pyramid of the Corsican Guard, Erected then Demolished in Rome by Jean Arnould. This medallion evokes the building of the expiatory pyramid in Rome in 1664 after a dispute between the French ambassador and the pope’s Corsican Guard. Louis XIV had the pyramid demolished in 1668

The Capture of a City by Jean Arnould.

Left to right: The Restoration of Military Discipline by Jean Arnould. Louis XIV is depicted on the left attending military exercises. The scene evokes the reorganization of the army carried out by Michel Le Tellier and his son the Marquis de Louvois, secreataries of State for War.

The Abolition of Dueling by Desjardins. Commemorating the king’s bank on dueling shows the figure of Justice holding her sword and scales while two men below her fight to the death

The Destruction of Heresy by Desjardins. Praying figures look up at the allegory of Religion holding a container of holy objects, while a heretic in the background removes his mask. Commissioned a few months before the revocation of the Edict of Nantes that put an end to religious freedom for Protestants

To the right on the south wall are the four bas-relief plaques that were on the base of the statue above the captives and from left to right represent, Spain Recognizing the Precedence of France, Conquest of Franche-Comté, Peach of Nijmegen and Crossing the Rhine. 

Left: Spain Recognizes the Precedence of France by Desjardins. The diplomatic victory of the young Louis XIV on March 24, 1662 is commemorated in the first plaque. The Spanish ambassador made a public apology to the king for having refused to stand next to the French ambassador at an official ceremony in London in 1661. The scene takes place in the Grand Cabinet in the Louvre in his coronation cloak.

Right: The Conquest of Franche-Comté by Desjardins. The second conquest of Franche-Comté in May & June 1674 a great military success from the start of his reign of Louis XIV, symbolized by the capture of the city of Besançon.

Left: Crossing the Rhine by Desjardins. The triumph from the begining of the Franco-Dutch War during the reign of Louis XIV. when the French army crossed the Rhine on June 12, 1672. Louis XIV and his cousin the Grand Condé are shown on their horses leading the army.

Right: The Peace of Nijmegen by Desjardins. The Treaties of Nijmegen (1678-1679) signed by France with the Dutch Republic, Spain, the Holy Roman Empire and Brandenburg put an end to the Franco-Dutch War. This is my favorite as it brings in allegories of Peace who is seated and represents Europe. The king is surrounded by the allegories of History writing the story, Justice with the scales and Fame blowing the trumpet above.

Together, even without Louis standing in the center it was once an amazing monument that can live on in these 41 pieces and in the etchings of the original dedication. 

Je t'aime

I love you, je t’aime, ich liebe dich and ti amo, are just some of the ways to say I love you. In the Square Jehan-Rictus  a short walk down from Sacre Coeur lives the I Love You wall,  Le Mur des Je T’aime.

  The blue enameled lava tiles have only been there since 2000, but the story behind it dates back a few more years. Frédéric Baron in 1992 would wander the streets of Paris with a notebook in hand and would ask passersby of all nationalities how they would say, “I love you”. Filling page after page and notebook after notebook just to satisfy his curiosity. A friend told him that his project should be shared. Claire Kito, a calligraphy specialist, worked with Frédéric taking each of his pages and bringing them to life. In over 250 languages and 311 phrases, they would be recreated onto 612 enameled tiles, each the same size as the pages he recorded them all on

The royal blue tiles covered with the phrases written in white are dotted with specs of red. These are to represent a broken heart, if they were all gathered together they would become one solid heart. One thing is certain when you stand in front of this wall, while the phrase is so simple, it means the same thing in every corner of the world. All we all want is love, whether it be the love of another or the feeling of falling in love with a place that makes you feel alive.  And maybe we would all be better off if we remembered that.

Behind the closed doors of the Palais de la Légion d'Honneur

Le Palais de la Légion d’Honneur, hidden behind a high gate and grand arch is one of the many buildings of Paris that are only open once a year. The third weekend in September known as the Journées du Patrimoine is when a treasure trove of locations opens their doors. This past year I finally got into the beautiful building next to the Orsay that inspired both the United States White House and Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello.

Hotel de Salm was built in 1781 for Frederick III Prince of Salm-Kyrburg. Designed by Pierre Rousseau they would later live there for a period when the owner sealed his fate during the Revolution and his life ended by the guillotine in 1794. 

After the Revolution, Napoleon decided they needed something to honor the great members of France. On May 19, 1802, The Légion d’Honneur was established and the first award was given on July 15, 1804, in the chapel of Les Invalides. 

On May 13, 1804, the Comte de Lacepede the first Grand Chancellor, purchased the Hotel de Salm to house the administration of the  Légion d’Honneur. The rooms are lavishly decorated in the Empire fashion with furniture from palaces and chateaux that have since been destroyed. Including pieces from the Palais des Tuileries, Chateau de Saint-Cloud, and Chateau de Compiègne. The office of the Légion d’Honneur is still located here and events and receptions still occur under the dome. 

In 1868 after the creation of the Rue de Solferino the building was enlarged by architect Amédée-Alphonse Lejeune. Three years later much of the interior was destroyed on May 23, 1871, as the Commune burned its way through the heart of Paris. After the Commune, the interiors were completely destroyed leaving just the outer facade standing. Immediately after the fire, architect Anastase Mortier began to draw up plans for an updated version of the interior that we see today in all its Empire glory. 

The palace is the working office of the Legion d’Honneur that give out awards each year to deserving people from authors to high-ranking members of the French military and government. When you first enter the building you walk through the conference room and offices before you enter into the more lavish rooms used for events and receptions. 

The Bureau du Grand Chancelier is lovely with its wood and guilt bronze perfectly framing the original painting Napoleon en costume de sacre by Robert Lefebvre. I adore the beautiful blue wallpaper with gold laurel wreaths, always a reminder of Napoleon. 

The next room is the Chambre de Madame was originally used for the wife of the Grand Chancelier, today distinguished guests can stay there. Where do I check in?  The ceiling was done by Faustin Besson and the gorgeous chandelier and fabric on the walls and bed is in the style of Louis XVI, always more lavish than the style of Louis XIV. The fireplace is one of the few things that survived the fire and has been lovingly restored. 

The real jaw-dropper of the building is the ceiling of the Rotunda below the dome that inspired Thomas Jefferson and has many of the greats in French history. In the center is Napoleon Bonaparte, in the form of his many ages. A younger general stands before him and a much older Emperor looks on at himself in his coronation garb. Just below in the oval medallions by Achille Sirouy are four of the great rulers of France. François Ier, Louis XIV, Charlemagne, and Napoleon and each is surrounded by important members and artists of their reign. Between each of those in grisaille we can spot Jeanne d’Arc and Sainte Geneviève. 

Bellow the room is filled with the furniture of Princess Élisa Bociocchi, sister of Napoleon. Surrounding the room in the alcoves are cabinets made by the Empire darlings the Jacob brothers who designed furniture for Josephine and Madame Recamier that you can also see in the Musée du Louvre. 

The Salon de l’Aurore, named after the ceiling L’Aurore chassant la nuit  by Joseph Ranvier. Look closely at the fireplace and the gilded clock. Jaques Louis David’s fantastic Oath of the Horatii. The monumental painting of the Louvre is brought to life here on the mantel and framed by screens once in the throne room of the Palais des Tuileries. 

The Salon des Muses is dedicated to the nine muses of Zeus that are high above the ceiling. Apollo et les neuf muses by François Ehrmann. Furniture in the first empire fashion by Pierre-Antoine Bellangé from the Chateau de Compiègne

The focal point of the Salle à Manger is the large pedestal table in the center of the room. The table was once in the Salle Diane in the Chateau de Saint-Cloud and where Napoleon III had his last meal before he left Paris in 1870. The chandeliers and candelabra are from the Tuileries and the bronze clock once belonged to the King of Rome, Napoleon II. 

The Salon des Grands Chanceliers is the icing on the cake. The walls include carved woodwork, gilded features, and marble and stucco carvings of the military insignias. The large painting of young Napoleon sits below the important dates in the creation of the Legion d’Honneur and don’t miss the musician balconies above. 

The Salon des Maisons is filled with furniture from the Chateau de Saint-Cloud covered in regal green fabric and gilded wood. I adore the large paintings including the image of the Hotel de Salm with the burned remains of the Palais d’Orsay in the distance. To the left is my love, the Louvre. 

The last room on the visit is the Vestibule topped with a painting of Général Vinoy, Grand Chancelier. High above are oval portraits of other grand chancelier officers since 1934. The statues of L’Odyssée and Pénélope by Taluet and Cavelier stand watch as you leave this wonderful slice of French history.

Henri Fantin-Latour a Dedication to his Friends

Henri Fantin-Latour is known by many for his beautiful still lifes of flowers and his group paintings. Born in Grenoble on January 14, 1836, he studied art from his father Theodore Fantin-Latour who worked in pastels.  In 1850 young Henri moved to Paris and enrolled at the Petite Ecole de Dessin de Paris then the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris in 1854 where he met Degas, Whistler, and Legros.  Fantin-Latour also spent a few months in the studio of Gustave Courbet at 53 Rue Notre Dame des Champs on the edge of the Jardin du Luxembourg. 

Henri first honed his skills with numerous charcoal, oil, and chalk self-portraits. Whistler encouraged him to visit London and also learned to engrave from Edwin Edwards. His still-life paintings of flowers were highly regarded especially among London customers which was an early way for him to make a nice living. 

In 1873 he met fellow artist Victoria Dubourg in the Musée du Louvre where most women had to train with a chaperone of course. They married three years later and collaborated on many floral paintings. Some of my favorite paintings by Fantin-Latour are his group paintings.

I love a painting that holds a story that can be uncovered and group paintings, holy moly, it’s a dream.  Fantin-Latour created four between 1864 and 1885 and all are held in the Musée d’Orsay. A few are visiting Abu Dabi at the moment but they will be back soon. 

The first was done in 1864 and was created in response to the lack of attention my beloved Eugene Delacroix received after his death. The Romantic master’s funeral was held on August 17, 1863, in the Eglise Saint Germain des Prés. Henri, Manet, Whistler, Zola, Pissarro, Degas, and Baudelaire were all in attendance. Still, they were shocked that the man that influenced a generation of Impressionists and reinvent color had such a small turnout for his final moments. It was August after all and the Parisian went on vacation, but it was Delacroix!  Fantin-Latour watched as the funeral undertakers tossed aside Delacroix’s Institut de France academic robes in disgust. 

Fantin-Latour would paint a masterpiece dedicated to his friend and bring him the recognition he deserved. In Homage à Delacroix a painting of Delacroix takes center stage surrounded by friends and admirers. 

Seated from left to right we see art critic and writer Louis Edmond Duranty, Fantin-Latour in a white shirt, writer Jules Champfleury and on the lower right Charles Baudelaire who was always a supporter of Delacroix.  Standing left to right is Louis Cordier, art school friend Alphonse Legros and to the left of the painting of Delacroix, James Abbot McNeill Whistler, the American-born artist who arrived in Paris in 1855. At the other edge of the frame is the wonderful Édouard Manet who needs no introduction at all, and we round out with artist Felix Bracquemond who was a bit of a jerk and artist Albert de Balleroy. 

The painting was first displayed at the 1864 Salon to raving reviews. Purchased at the Salon by Ernest Gambart it would end up in the great collection of Etienne Moreau-Nealton which I will go into great detail about soon. Upon his death in 1906, it was given to the Louvre which would pass it to the Orsay in 1986. 

In 1870 Fantin-Latour painted Un Atelier aux Batignolles and brought together his friends in one painting centered around Manet’s atelier in Batignolles. The norm-pushing Édouard Manet sits at the easel most likely painting a naked lady that will flip the stodgy art world leaders out. Standing to his right is artist Otto Scholderer and just behind him is Pierre Auguste Renoir. Not such a bad group of guys. Next to Renoir is Émile Zola, Manet’s biggest champion, Edmond Maitre a musician and the tall chap is Drédéric Bazille, an artist that lived in the studio of Delacroix after his death with the chap in the corner, Claude Monet. Seated to Manet’s left is Zacharie Astruc, an artist that also created that fantastic sculpture of the mask seller in Jardin du Luxembourg I shared a few weeks ago.  So good right?! And we have two more to go. 

1872 was the writer’s turn in Coin de Table. Originally it was an idea to create a painting dedicated to Baudelaire for his 50th birthday but musician Edmond Maitre recommended they use the writers that gathered in the Place Saint Sulpice monthly, all of whom Maitre knew and could ask them to sit for him. 

Starting from left to right is Paul Verlaine and looking longingly at him is his lover Arthur Rimbaud this was painted a year into their relationship. Next to Arthur is poet and playwright Léon Valade, writer Ernest d’Hervilly and hiding in the corner Camille Pelletan a historian and journalist. Standing above in the top hat is poet Pierre Elzéar, Émile Blémont, and Jean Aicard all poets as well. Baudelaire may not be here but the flowers on the table are a nod to his most famous work, Fleur du Mal. 

The last piece was done much later in 1885 and dedicated to a group of musicians known as “Le Petit Bayreuth”. Seated at the piano is Emmanuel Chabrier, and next to him, are close friends Edmond Maitre and Amédée Pigeon. Standing left to right is Adolph Julien, Arthur Boisseau, Camille Benoit, Antoine Lascouc, and Vincent d’Indy with the fancy mustache. Each of the men was a composer and musician and devotee of Wagner and was part of the Wagnerists group.  

Of the four, the two are my favorite, anything with Delacroix and Manet will do that. 

For another fun, group check out Maurice Denis’ Hommage à Cezanne also in the Orsay

Exhibits not to miss in 2023

It’s a new year and that means new exhibits coming our way in Paris. If you are an art lover and a trip to Paris is on the agenda there are a few standouts you may want to plan around. 

We start with the Musée du Louvre, because well, it’s my favorite place in the world. 

Naples in Paris: the Louvre hosts the Museo di Capodimonte and brings together more than 60 masterpieces from the Capodimonte museum while it is going under renovation. The exhibit will stretch to three spaces in the Louvre including the Grande Galerie where the Capodimonte Italian masters will have a conversation with the masters of the Louvre. 

From 7 June to 22 January 2024 in the Salon Carré et Grande Galerie 

          7 June to 25 September Salle de l’Horlage Sully WIng 

The treasury of Notre Dame Cathedral from its origins to Viollet-Le-Duc

The one we have all been waiting for will be bringing two beloved monuments together. Notre Dame de Paris and the Louvre. On April 15, 2019, when we watched in shock the images of the beloved cathedral in flames I could only think of the treasures that are held inside. Shortly after they announced they would have them on exhibit, well 4 ½ years later we finally get to see them all once again.  

When Notre Dame was open many including Rick Steves told people to skip the Treasury just off the south transept but it is filled with many historical and beautiful pieces. Many of those pieces including the tunic of Saint Louis will be on view in the former Petite Galerie just past the entrance of the Richelieu wing. The exhibit also explores the Treasury before the Revolution and of Viollet-Le-Duc, the great architect that saved her in the 19th century. 19 October - 19 February 2024 

Included in your general Musée du Louvre tickets  

Musée d’Orsay 

The Orsay and its sister museum the Musée de l’Orangerie always do an exceptional job with their special exhibits. There is one that made me gasp as soon as I saw it come through and I know you will all want to book a flight as soon as possible. 

Van Gogh in Auvers-sur-Oise, The last few months

In the fall of this year opening on October 3 is the first exhibit to ever focus on the last two months in the life of Vincent van Gogh. His last two months in Auvers-sur-Oise were very prolific with 74 paintings and 33 drawings and many will be on display. It will be fantastic in conjunction with the van Gogh museum in Amsterdam.  This will be a very popular one and most likely the Orsay will require a timed ticket for the exhibit as well as the Orsay ticket. It is included in your ticket but just a heads up as it gets closer. 

3 October to 4 February, 2024 

Manet/Degas

If you are a lover of Manet or Degas like I am the Orsay, has another treat for you this year. Beginning on March 28 to July 23 a joint exhibit dedicated to these masters focusing on their similarities as well as their differences. Focusing on the 1870s when the two artists knew each other and how they influenced each other. I for one, am very excited to see so many of the Manet and Degas paintings return from the Louvre Abu Dhabi. 

28 March to 23 July, 2023 

For those in New York the exhibit will move to the Met this fall from September to January 2024

Musée de l’Orangerie 

Matisse. Art notebooks, the turning point of the 1930s

Another beloved master of color, Henri Matisse takes over the Orangerie this spring. The exhibit includes a few rarely seen in France since they were first in the artist’s collection of pieces painted in the 1930s. Starting with an impromptu trip to Tahiti, Matisse was inspired by the colors that were a bit different from the south of France. 

Exhibits in the Orangerie are always so well laid out and the audio guides are fantastic. I love to recommend the museum to clients as it has a mix of Impressionist and modern art and is very easy to navigate. 

Catch the Matisse exhibit from 1 March to 29 May. 

Also at the Orangerie, Modigliani, and Paul Guillaume

In the history of art, there are many duos that are so iconic we may never know of the artist if it wasn’t for their major supporters.  Art dealer Paul Guillaume was Modigliani’s greatest champion up until his death in 1920. It is also the collection of Guillaume that comprises the permanent collection of the Orangerie. I love to come across a Modigliani painting with long geometric faces and can’t wait to see an entire exhibit dedicated to the prolific master that died way too early. 

20 September to 15 January, 2024 

2023 also marks the 50th anniversary of the death of Pablo Picasso and there are special exhibits in Paris and around the world. A few to look forward to in Paris and beyond and see a full list (in French) here.

Gertrude Stein & Picasso, Invention of Language 

Musée du Luxembourg 

13 September to 21 January 2024 

Learn more about Gertrude in a past episode of our podcast here

Picasso & Pre-history 

Musée de l’Homme 

8 February to 12 June 

The Paris of Moderns 1905 to 1925 

Petit Palais 

14 November to 14 April 

Picasso Drawings 

Centre Pompidou 

18 October to 22 January, 2024 

In New York at the Guggenheim

Young Picasso in Paris 

12 May to 7 August 

Other exhibits not to miss

Leon Monet, brother of the artist, and the first time his personal collection and portrait are on display in Paris. 

Musée du Luxembourg 

15 May to 16 July 

Sarah Bernhardt, the queen of the Paris stage already shares the wall of the Petit Palais but an entire exhibit dedicated to her?! She was also a sculptor when not on stage or sleeping in a coffin. Listen to the episode we did about her in 2020 and you to will fall in love with her. 

Petit Palais 

14 April to 27 August 

Basquait and Warhol, are two greats that are synonymous with New York. The two died just a year apart but both have a style that is each their own. Can’t wait to see how the Fondation Louis Vuitton puts this together. Do buy your tickets in advance for this one, the FLV always sells out days in advance. 

Fondation Louis Vuitton 

5 April to 28 August 

Coming to Paris this year, reach out for a tour with me. From historic tours in the steps of Hemingway with a Hemingway to the cobblestones and all their hidden stories to the best museum in the world and more. 

Best Exhibits of 2022

This year the museums of Paris and special exhibits were back on track after the interruption of the pandemic. Museums spend years or even a decade in preparation for exhibits that are dedicated to everyone from Leonard da Vinci to designer Thierry Mugler. When Covid hit, it was heartbreaking to see exhibits close to visitors and many never saw the light of day. 

Whether you made it to Paris or not, I would love to share a few of my favorite exhibits this year. 

The Musée d’Orsay always does a fantastic job with exhibits and 2022 saw quite a few dedicated to groundbreaking artists, Antoni Gaudi, Rosa Bonheur, Edvard Munch, and  Maillol. This spring, I was thrilled to get a deeper view and learn more about Aristide Maillol. The Musée Maillol in the 7th holds two exhibits a year but doesn’t go too deep into the story of the artist himself.  Born December 8, 1861, he arrived in Paris at 21 and enrolled in the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in 1885. Dabbling in ceramics, embroidery, carved wood, and painting he really found his medium in stone and bronze. 

If you have spent any time walking through the upper Jardin des Tuileries then you have seen the great work of the artist. In 1964, twenty years after his death his last model Dina Vierny, gave 18 bronze statues to the city that now dot the landscape. It was these statues that made me want to learn more about the artist and who his models were. The exhibit was laid out chronologically and featured his three muses. His wife Clotilde, Spanish maid Therese, and Dina. Maillot believed in the female form as he could add to it and create his own shapes and poses. A more rounded version of Rodin also set him apart from his predecessors. 

I loved his paintings that were inspired by the Impressionists and also Whistler’s famous piece, Arraignment in Gray and Black better known as Whistler’s Mother. Maillot recreated his own version of his Tante Lucie,  a beloved aunt that cared for him growing up. It’s hard not to see the influence of Monet in Femme à l’ombrelle. 

Maillol died in 1944 just a month following the liberation of Paris in a car accident. Thankfully because of his last model Dina, we know who this incredibly versatile artist was. If you missed the exhibit walk through the Tuileries or visit the Musée Maillol. 

The Musée Picasso Paris opened in 1985 and was built from the collection of the artist himself. Following his death in 1973, his heirs gave over 4,000 pieces to offset French inheritance taxes due to a  law that had been put in place on December 31, 1968. The collection was so vast an entire museum could be created and is the largest of Picasso in the world. 

Last year his daughter and only legitimate heir Maya Ruiz-Picasso gave 9 pieces to the State. The dation includes 6 paintings, 2 sculptures, and a sketchbook.  Her mother, Marie Therese Walter met Picasso outside of Galerie Lafayette in 1927 and quickly began an affair. Maya was born on September 5, 1935, and spent much of her time growing up with her father who created games and drawings for her, many of which can be seen in the museum. 

The current exhibit that closes this week on December 31 showcases the 9 pieces as well as the relationship Picasso had with his children which weren’t always great. The great artist and his first daughter remained close until after the end of the war and Picasso spent more time in the south of France with Francoise Gilot.  The two were reunited in the summer of 1955 when she assisted her father with Henri-Georges Clouzot’s Mystere Picasso film. Shortly after filming the two rarely saw each other after she announced she was going to be married. 

At the time of his death in 1973, he had very little contact with his four children. His second wife Jacqueline kept everyone away from the gates of the Chateau de Vauvenargues in the south of France. Refusing to do a will there was a long legal fight in France trying to obtain the rights of the children as 3 of the 4 were illegitimate. 

A visit to the Musée Picasso is a must for all art lovers and if you have been before and think you can skip it, think again. The permanent collection is so vast that rooms are frequently changed out including the room dedicated to Picasso’s take on Manet’s Dejeuner sur l’Herb. 

A few of my favorite things from the exhibit include the combination of Jusepe de Ribera’s Le Pied-Bot next to Picasso’s El Bobo painted in 1959. 

The Portrait de Maya drawing was done on Christmas day 1943. Such a different style from what Picasso is normally known for,  but it is such a sweet sketch of the nine-year-old little girl. Of all the pieces in the exhibit, the photos of father and daughter are the most interesting. The two Picasso in profile has a striking resemblance and strong family lineage. I really loved the photo taken in 1955 alongside the Tete de femme  of Dora Maar that is now in the Square Laurent Prache in the shadows of Eglise Saint Germain des Prés. 

Maya was on hand in September 2021 at the presentation of the new collection to the Minister of Culture and again at the opening of the exhibit on April 16 of this year. Sadly she recently passed away on 20 December at 87 years old. I suspect a flurry of new donations should be coming soon to the French State. 

Of course, I had a list of over twelve exhibits to share but this is already long enough and this year I promise to share many of them as I see them, lastly I hope you were able to see the fantastic Musée du Luxembourg exhibit Pionnières that ran from March 2 to July 10. Focusing on women artists that came to study in Paris in the late 19th century and at the start of the 20th. At the time women were finally allowed to attend art classes and ateliers as well as dress how they wished. 

A visit to this exhibit was like sitting down with an old friend for a glass of wine. Many of the artists have been featured on the podcast and a handful of others are on my list to explore a bit deeper so we can share their own amazing life with you.   

I was happy to see two paintings by Jacqueline Marval on display and watch so many people taking photos of La Baigneuse au Maillot Noir 1923. Marval was born in 1866 near Grenoble and arrived in Paris in 1895. Living in Montparnasse she met Picasso, Matisse, and Flandrin all of which were attracted to her strong personality and artistic abilities. Less known outside of France, she is one to dig a bit deeper on. The Comité Jacqueline Marval that oversees her story and authentication is in the process of opening a new space in Paris that can be visited by appointment. Run by a dear friend and family I will be sure to share more and even take you all on a visit soon. 

A few of the ladies mentioned and on display included Anne de Rochechouart Duchesse d’Uzes. Great granddaughter of Madame Cliquot was one of the first women to obtain a driver’s license and get a speeding ticket as well as creating the Automobile Club de Feminine de France in 1926 when women weren’t allowed in the men’s club.  

Trailblazer and dancer Josephine Baker. Shakespeare and Company and publisher  Sylvia Beach. Author and boundary pusher Colette. Artists Marie Laurencin, Suzanne Valadon, and Sonia Delauney and female artist champion and the first woman to own a gallery Berthe Weill. 

Such a great year for exhibits in Paris and even more coming in 2023. Watch this space and better yet contact me to plan a fantastic trip to Paris to see all the best things and maximize your time. 

The Friendship of a French King and a Duke

There are thousands of figures in French history, but a few of them stand out a little brighter and larger. Henri IV was just such a character and today we celebrate his birthday along with a very close friend of his. 

Of all the French kings, one face stands out among the rest as the most recognizable. Henri IV, the Vert Galant, the first Bourbon king always has a happy and almost goofy but lovable look to him whether he is on a horse overlooking the Pont Neuf or staring back at you in the Louvre. 

One of my favorite (yes I say that about some 5,000 paintings) in the Louvre is the one depicting Le Bon Roi Henri as Hercules with some rather lovely legs. PORTRAIT D’HENRI IV EN HERCULE TERRASSANT L’HYDRE DE LERNE, by the Entourage de Toussaint Dubreuil in 1600 shows the king as the mythological hero known for his strength. Seen with the pelt of a lion over his shoulders, a slight smile on his face, and holding a club in his hand as he stands over a multi-head monster. 

Henri IV born on this day in 1553, Henri III future King of Navarre and France was baptized a Catholic but raised as a Protestant by his mother Queen Jeanne d’Albret 

At the moment of his birth his grandfather King of Navarre Henri d’Albret took him from his daughter and rubbed his lips with garlic and gave him a small sip of wine grown from his own vineyard. Known as a Bearnais Baptism, it was to ward off any disease but to also indoctrinate him into their way of life. 

As the King of Navarre, Henri married Marguerite de Valois, daughter of Henri II and Catherine de Medici who were devout Catholics. Days after their wedding the St. Bartholomew Day massacre began killing thousands of Protestants and the War of Religion that would spread through France for thirty-six years.

The painting depicts the King standing triumphantly over the slain l’hydre de lerne, which represents the Catholic League that had big problems with the one-time Huguenot king. However, what stands out about this painting is his legs. I mean, really, oh la la Henri la Grande, the little flick of the hip adds to his pose and it is easy to see why he may have had so many mistresses. After all, he wasn’t nicknamed the Vert Galant for nothing.

Six years later on the same day in Rosny-sur-Seine Maximillian de Bethune, duc de Sully was born.  Maximilian met Henri in 1572 and became fast friend and one that Henri would lean on for the rest of his life. A fellow protestant he was able to flee Paris hours before the Saint Bartholomew days massacre and later encouraged Henri to convert to Catholicism to ease tensions in the country. 

Sully was always near Henri for every crusade and battle and later in the government. Starting in the State Council of Navarre to the Superintendent of Finance and the Governor of the Bastille and the Superintendent of the King’s buildings. In the government, he changed laws to tax the aristocracy and lowered taxes on the lower class who was loved by many. 

On May 14, 1610, just a day after the coronation of Marie de Medicis, Henri was leaving the Palais du Louvre and on his way to the Arsenal district to see his old friend. On the way, the king was murdered and as soon as the news reached Sully he hurried to his side. 

Today in Paris there are more reminders of Sully than there are of Henri IV. Henri has his statue on the Pont Neuf. However, Sully can be found in front of the Palais Bourbon, a street in the Arsenal where he once lived. The Hotel de Sully he purchased after the loss of his friend and at the Louvre. In the Cour Napoleon overlooking the pyramid stands Sully but the entire middle wing is dedicated to the statesman. The Sully wing is where you can find the French paintings but it is also the original section of the Palais we see today, built by his friend Henri IV. 

The Sunrise that Named a Movement

Last week I was happy to share the story behind one of my favorite Claude Monet paintings but did you know one of his most famous pieces is also linked to the Hoschede’s. If you missed last week you can find it on my website here. 

Now back to that famous painting and this is why I love history and the stories of art so much and while research on one thing sends me down a long and winding rabbit hole. 

On November 13, 1872, in the harbor of Le Havre out the window of the Hotel de l’Armirauté Monet captured the sunrise. The glowing orange sun reflected across the water would go on to give the name to the entire movement we know as Impressionism. Before the first Impressionist exhibition in 1874 Monet named the painting Impression and when critic Louis Leroy saw it he transferred the name to the entire group. 

At the time the Academic world of art thought these ragtag group of artists that painted outside in the elements were nuts and the name didn’t help. 

The exhibit was held from April 15 to May 15, 1874, in the studio of photographer Nadar on the Boulevard des Capucines. One day Ernest Hoschede walked in and saw Monet’s Impression and purchased it for 800 francs. It hung in the Chateau de Rottembourg until it was seized by the authorities in 1877 and sold at auction for just 210 francs. Dr. Georges de Bellio was the lucky winner of such a bargain and passed it down to his daughter until she left it to the Musée Marmottan Monet in 1940 after her death. 

The Musee Marmottan Monet is a gem of a museum on the edge of Paris. Originally a hunting lodge to the Duc de Valmy it was purchased in 1882 by Jules Marmottan who had a large collection of items from the First Empire. His son Paul expanded the collection and upon his death, the home and collection were gifted to the Academie des Beaux-Arts.  

In 1934 it was opened as a museum and over the years would be greatly enhanced by two generous donations. In 1966, Michael Monet, the only surviving child of the great artists gave his entire collection which is the largest concentrated catalog of Monet in the world. In 1985 Nelly Duhem, daughter of artist Henri Duhem bequeathed her father’s vast Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings of the French masters. 

Another event happened that same year that made headlines around the world. It was an early Sunday morning just after 10 am on October 27, 1985, two ticket-holding gents strolled into the museum. A few minutes later, three masked men with guns pushed their way in, forced everyone to the ground, and quickly searched out 9 specific paintings they ripped from the wall. Two Renoirs, a painting by Berthe Morisot, and five Monets that also included Impression, Sunrise, and was gone in a matter of minutes. 

For two years there wasn’t a single lead until the commissioner of the art theft department Mirielle Balestrazzin tracked down four stolen Cortot paintings in Japan. Stolen from Eastern France in 1984 the paintings were linked to the head of the Japanese crime syndicate Yakuza, Shuinichi Fujikuma. Fujikuma had his hands in everything and in 1978 he was caught with over 7 kilos of heroin in France and sentenced to five years in a French prison. Locked away he met two other French prisoners locked away for art thefts, Philippe Jamin and Youssef Khimoun, and hatched a plan. 

Fast forward to 1987 and Balestrazzin paying him a visit in Japan.  The Cortots were recovered and a series of investigations of his phone records found some odd details. It didn’t help that they found the Marmottan museum catalog where he had circled each of the 9 paintings that were stolen. Somehow the paintings were taken from Paris to Japan and then sent to Corsica where they were discovered in an empty villa in Porto-Vecchio. However, it took three long years to put that all together and recover the treasured paintings. 

On April 17, 1991, after some minor restoration, they returned to the walls of the Marmottan and you can see them in all their glory. Impression, Sunrise sits downstairs on the lower level and you can’t miss it as you walk down the stairs. When I first laid eyes on it they didn’t allow photos but I snuck a quick very crooked pic now you can snap away all you want. However, make sure you sit there on the bench in front of it and take it all in. 

When it comes to art it’s not just the painting you see on the canvas that is so fascinating. It is the story with all its twists and turns that is so wonderful that the piece is just waiting for you to discover. 

Visit the Musée Marmottan Monet at 2 rue Louis Boilly 16e, open Tuesday-Sunday 10 am - 6 pm. They also hold two fantastic exhibits a year. 

Monet, the Turkeys and a Love Triangle

Hanging within the Impressionist gallery of the Musée d'Orsay you will come across this gem. Claude Monet’s  Les Dindons (the turkeys) won't have a ton of people standing in front of it like Manet’s Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe  but it is one of my favorites. 

In 1876 after spending time in Argenteuil, Claude Monet wanted to find some new subject matter to paint. Wealthy French businessman and avid collector Ernest Hoschede had already invited Édouard Manet out to his chateau earlier in the year and commissioned him to paint a few pieces. Manet’s pieces would never be hung and kept in his atelier until his death.

Hoscehde met Claude Monet in the Parc Monceau he offered him the same opportunity and since Monet needed the money and Manet told him it was a pretty cushy job he took him up on the offer. . 

Femmes au Jardin 1866, all three women are Camille Monet

The Chateau de Rottembourg in Montgeron just 11 miles SE of Paris and located on vast grounds was where Monet would spend a few months there creating four large canvases intended to decorate the walls of the Chateau. Walking the grounds he came across a rafter of turkeys grazing in the grass on a sunny summer day and an image we can now see today.  He would never complete this work but it would be shown in the 3rd Impressionist Exposition in 1877. I love this painting by Monet, maybe because it isn't a haystack or a lily pond or some of the other images he did over and over, although I do love those too. The green grass and white turkeys with a touch of pink make for such a happy cheerful painting. 

However, there is so much more behind the painting. While Monet was staying at their chateau he began to have an affair with Ernest’s wife Alice. Ernest spent much of his time in Paris at his department store or hanging out at the Café Guerbois with the Impressionist. Alice had come from a wealthy family and had inherited the Chateay de Rottembourg and Ernest spent much of his time and all their money keeping up with the elite of Paris. 

Ernest burned through all their money and was forced to hold two annonymus auctions for a few dozen paintings by Sisley, Monet and Pissarro that didn’t reap the rewards he had hoped. In 1877 his chateau and collection was seized and sold. 138 pieces by Renoir, Sisley, Morisot, Pissarro, Manet and Monet were sold including one very famous painting that named the movement. More on that in a bit. 

Alice Hoschedé Monet by Charles Carolus Durand 1872-1878

Ernest decided to flee France without his wife and six children. Monet invited Alice and her children to move out to Vetheuil with is wife Camille and two sons. Alice was also pregenant at the time and many think it was actually with the child of Monet and not Ernest. 

For years Alice hid behind the mask of a lovely lady helping nurse Camille Monet who was dying of cancer. Ever the ardent caretaker but really just waited for her rivals death. Camille took her last breath on September 5, 1879, and whole Monet was in deep mourning he picked up a canvas and  painted his wife on her deathbed. The painting can also be seen in the Musée d’Orsay.

Camille Monet at her death

As the family gathered for a funeral, Alice shouted out “burn it all”  Alice cleared the home of any and all memories of Camille. Every letter, photo, and painting was destroyed. In 1891 her husband died and the next year she and Monet married on July 16. 1892.

Alice died on May 19, 1911 and Monet would live until 1926 and cared for by the children of Alice. 

Last year we recorded an episode all about the the little love triangle and the ladies of Monet’s life that were also often used the subject of his many paintings. Take a listen now and come back in a few days for some more history on one of the more famous pieces by Monet and it’s long sordid tale.