News

Paris virtual Tour #2: “The Palais Garnier”

For this second edition of our Parisian virtual Tour 2020, ArtLuxury Experience has the pleasure to invite you to discover the Palais Garnier or Opera Garnier and its backstage.

Thanks to its partnership with Google Arts & Culture, since 2014, the Palais Garnier invites you to discover it virtually in its slightest nook and cranny. This virtual visit, allows you to visit its inside, with the Opéra and all its stages from the capstans to its rehearsal studio. All in all, eleven levels to visit. You can see also its “Bibliothèque musée”, national museum of Paris, and have a glimpse of its large collection.

If you wish to take a fresh air bash, you can also access to the rooftop and admire the magnificent Parisian’s landscape. Finally, if you are a lover of unusual experiences, you can explore the artificial lake as well, at the fifth level underground.

Do you want to discover the Palais Garnier in more details, and learn more about it? you can also admire three exhibitions presenting three captivating stories:

• Le chemin des Etoiles from 1972 to 2018
• Naissance d’un Opéra
• Noureev à l’Opéra de Paris

Don’t you have ever dreamed to attend a ballet or an opera performance anytime from home?
In this particular period, the Opéra gives and offers you the opportunity to watch some of their best shows.
To watch those in their integrality, discover here a selection of full performances. You can go further in discovering some opera’s and ballet’s folders and series.

Furthermore, the Palais Garnier allows you to become like a little mouse and discover its backstage. You will see among others, interviews of artists like musicians, dancers, and their works before the final show, history and anecdotes of these performances…

Finally, after this containment, we would be happy to share “in situ” this experience with you, including the stories behind the scene, through VIP or private guided tours, with one of our best lecturers.

Last but not least, do not miss to read our next articles “Paris virtual Tour 2020” published here in the coming weeks, and then to participate to our serial contest at the end: 2 amazing prizes will be awarded by ArtLuxury!

In the meantime, please take care of yourself and your loved ones.

Paris virtual Tour #1: «Welcome to the Louvre»

In this particular period of containment, don’t you have ever dreamed to visit, virtually this time, the most emblematic Parisians’ monuments and museums, anytime from home?

Thus, and before we can offer you again our private guided visit with our best historians and speakers, ArtLuxury Experience has selected for you four of the very best museums and monuments of the City of Lights, that are currently offering amazing virtual galleries featuring their heritage and related collections.

Indeed, as a series, each Monday, we will publish one article revealing you a selection of creations and virtual tours proposed by each Parisian monument, in order to discover and admire them, despite this frustrating context of COVID-19. Last but not least, at the end of each article, we will ask you one question for your participation to our Serial contest: “Paris virtual Tour 2020.”

At the end of our fourth article, on Monday May 11^th, day of containment’s end in France, we will invite you to participate to our Quiz 2020, through an on-line form, by answering to the four questions related to these articles, together with a subsidiary fifth question.

Two prizes to be won: two exclusive experiences of ArtLuxury will be awarded to the first two correct answers.

1) 1st Lot: an exclusive and gourmet picnic (for 2 people) organised by ArtLuxury Experience, on the lawns of the Champ de Mars.

2) 2nd Lot: according to the beneficiary’s preference, and always in the company of Olivier, President and Founder of ArtLuxury Experience :

– A “Gourmet Tour” (2 hours) in the very chic area of rue Cler near the Eiffel Tower.

– Or a guided tour (2 hours) of the Vanves Flea Market

For more details, please refer to the Rules of our Serial contest: “Paris virtual Tour 2020.”

Don’t miss the opportunity to win a PRIZE: on Monday April 11, 2020, after the publication of our 4th and last article you will be invited to participate to our Contest, by answering to five questions related to our articles! The first 2 correct answers will be awarded!

Today, we have the great pleasure to publish our article #1 …

Paris virtual Tour #1: “Welcome to the Louvre”

With its world-famous masterpieces like the “Joconde” or the “Vénus de Milo”, the Louvre is without contest one of the most influent museum in the world, but also one of the most innovative.

If you are a fan of interactive adventures, we offer you herewith our selection of visits and virtual galleries recently created by the Louvre:

Indeed, the museum opens its doors and invites you to an exceptional visit of four of its rooms in virtual reality or in 360°, in order to take you for an immersive journey around the time and the ages:

You can also admire and “attend” until June 29^th 2020 the exhibition “Figure d’artistes” dedicated to the “genius of Renaissance” and meet famous artists like Leonard de Vinci, Donatello, Michel-Ange.

After that, the Louvre invites you to visit the Sully wing, to plunge into the medieval Louvre and discover the past and the remains of this old fortress, from the medieval period to the revolution.

From there, you will then enter into the Sphinx crypt to continue the visit at the time of the pharaohs.

This time journey will come to the end with the last room recently renovated thanks to the patronage of the Maison Cartier: La Galerie d’Apollon. You will be able to discover its treasures, its magnificent ceiling and the presentation of its restoration’s steps.

If you want discover and explore more in details its collections, the Louvre offers you a selection of 29 themes covering not only its masterpieces, unmissable, but also lesser-known pieces of art, but equally appreciable. This selection, be addressed to all profiles, amateurs or passionate, has been realized to reveal the exceptional richness of its collections.

In order to conclude our selection, the Louvre, gives you also a set of filmed recordings in its auditorium. Please enjoy the great privilege to assist from your home to

• Concerts, including sublime musical works of the 18^th century to the present day,
• Initiations to the history of arts,
• Conferences in history of arts,
• Related programs to archaeology, art, history and culture, realized by renowned historians,
• Works’ analyses,
• Exhibition
• Conferences of contemporary art,
• Interviews

In addition, if you want to follow closely the news of the museum, do not miss its social medias, where are shared numerous pictures, works presentations, galleries etc.

Finally, after this containment, we would be happy to share “in situ” this experience with you, through VIP or private guided tours, with our one of our best lecturers.

In the meantime, please take care of yourself and your loved ones.

This year, after a year of work, the museum d’Art Moderne in Paris, has decided to exhibit a retrospective on the life of the German artist Hans Hartung.  Pioneer painter of the major movement, Abstraction, renowned for his modern and conceptual dimension.

He had an admiration and a passion for the painter Rembrandt, who inspired many of his works. In addition, He also had a close relationship and artistic solidarity with Pablo Picasso,

both facing all these political troubles during this period in their respective countries.

Hans Hartung was a very eclectic artist, he was as well painter and photographer. We may see it with this collage, ordered by the famous American collector and sponsor  Peggy Guggenheim.

Moreover, the exhibition hosts 300 pieces of his art, painted during his six decade of creation, those are simultaneously photographs, sketches, painting on pebbles…Indeed, throughout those 60 years of creation, the painter artist has realized numerous experiences on various supports such as painting on ceramics and has developed plentiful  technical innovations.

This exhibit regroups various pieces of as well as written documents that retrace his life, such as books, correspondence, catalogues, youth newspaper, archival documents, invitation card, poster, film, documentary…

However, the exhibit is ending on March 1^st, if you are interested by it, or anytime by the permanent collections of Museum d’Art Modern, contact us, we can arrange a guided visit for you.

Specially for you, ArtLuxury Experience, has the pleasure to announce that the Direction of the Eiffel Tower associates us for the creation of its future VIP visit offer. Throughout our last meeting yesterday, we can now precise that it is planned to be operational by the end of summer 2020. This visit will put stars in your eyes! Everything is in this visit!

A very personalized visit, enabling privileged access to the most inaccessible places of the Eiffel Tower. The Grand Iron Lady and its backstage won’t have any secrets left for you.

It will be composed of:

• A personal welcoming, skip the line
• Guided visit by a specially formed Eiffel Tower staff member
• Access to the elevator’s machinery
• Access to the intermediate floors for the best view of the structure
• Access to the top
• Breakfast in a lounge or a cup of Champagne at the top
• As well as other surprises in option!

Waiting the opening of this future VIP visit, we can already arrange for you a personalized visit, with skip the line access option, a cup of champagne at the top, and could be as well continued by a lunch or dinner in the  Jules Verne restaurant, on the 2^nd floor, with the Chef Frédéric Anton.

The Maison Cartier was now recently a benefactor of the Louvre. The Maison has financed the renovation of the famous Apollon gallery dedicated to the royal jewel and ornament. This gallery was closed for works for 8 months and reopened on January 15^th, 2020.

Indeed, those restoration works were mainly focused on:

• Its decoration: paintings and statues that had been made in two centuries and the Gobelins tapestries.
• In addition, the light, in particular of the gold has been magnificently optimized and staged in order to highlight the jewels.

Cartier wanted to show the symbolic importance of the jewels for the monarchical identity of the Ancien Régime as well as the Second Empire.

The Apollon Gallery, 196ft long, has hosted the first jewels collection founded in 1523 by François 1er, which was transmitted from kings to kings. However, this majestic collection was sold during the French Third Republic in 1887 during an auction sale in Paris.

This collection includes three incredible diamonds which belonged to the royal family:

• The Régent, of an exceptional size of 140 carats has belonged to Louis XIV;
• The Sancy, biggest diamond in Europe during the XIX century;
• Hortensia, that was offered to the king Louis XV by Tavernier, French explorer.

Those displays are dedicated to the jewels incarnating the main historical reigns:

• the French Ancien Régime
• Premier Empire
• Monarchie de Juillet
• Second Empire

This gallery is also exhibiting the famous vases collection founded by Louis XIV, in fact he was a great fan of vases as well as precious stones. The exhibition hosts vases which are more original one than another with various shapes such as boats, shells…

For sure, this exhibition will be of particular interest for the jewelry and gemology lovers, therefore ArtLuxury Experience will be delighted to arrange a dedicated VIP visit of the Louvre including this Apollon gallery.

Like every year on valentine’s day, you are looking for the perfect gift for your partner. Beyond the traditional chocolate box or bunch of roses there are so many possibilities for an exceptional present your lover will always remember. What about an unforgettable moment in the city of love?

Art Luxury Experience selected for you the most romantic experiences to celebrate your Valentine’s day. Indeed, each couple is different, therefore we selected 5 different moods so as to express love in everyone’s way.

If you are interested please visit our page by clicking here.

What about you, which Valentine are you?

Do you feel surprising and mysterious?

Honeymoon dinner cruise is made for you.

Surprise your partner during an unforgettable evening aboard an exceptional private yacht.

Sail along the river Seine and enjoy the most beautiful monuments of the romantic city of lights. Forget about everything and focus entirely on your beloved while a private chef delights you with sumptuous and traditional French meal. An overwhelming evening for two to dazzle your tender and to remember for ever!

Are you interested by this experience ? Please contact us, we’ll arrange it for you.

Are you an elegant gentleman?

Court your flame inside a very fancy restaurant and make her feel like a queen.

At the bottom of Notre Dame, we selected for you the Vieux Paris d’Arcole. This recommended restaurant welcomes you into a traditional and luxurious atmosphere.

What is more, our specialist of the “Parisian chic” will join your table so as to guide you during your dinner sharing her knowledge about elegancy and French “art de vivre”. In other words, perform with all the high society codes and step into the shoes of a French aristocrat for a memorable night.

Vieux Paris d’Arcole

Do you want to become a French aristocrat for a night ? Please contact us.

Being a passionate and gourmet lover?

Besides the usual chocolate box, offer your partner the opportunity of cooking some together. Rendez-vous behind the scene of a prestigious French pastry house and experience a moment of complicity and culinary creativity. This fancy pastry house realizes the perfect match between tradition and modernity so as to delight your taste buds.

Do you want to dream around chocolate ? Please contact us.

Feeling more like cocooning?

Charm your beloved transforming the place you are staying in Paris into a private luxurious restaurant. In order to share a gastronomic dinner without doing a thing, we selected for you the best talented chefs. Only pay attention to the sweet words you’ll whisper while the chef serves you sophisticated dishes in total intimacy.

We have selected for you thanks to are partnerships 5 Chefs, with 5 different menus:

• Shakespeare in Love
• Valentine’s day menu
• Aphrodisiac Valentine’s day
• The lovers
• Valentine’s menu

The price range are starting from 220€ TVA included for (two persons)

Do you want to experience a private chef ? Please contact us.

Are you an artist nostalgic of the past?

Make your partner dream taking her/him to a magic trip around the city of love inside the very famous Rolls Royce of the 1970’s. Our famous and very charismatic historian will drive it for you while telling you unusual stories about places you’ll cross. It can be for a simple displacement or for a true long journey, in any event dive into another time and feel the magic of Paris hidden history.

Rolls Royce Silver Wraith Limousine 2 1978

Do you want to experience this wonderful trip ? Please contact us.

Would you like to become a Nose?

Your beloved has always dreamed of a unique perfume? Come and create your own perfume with the help of an expert for a complicity and romantic experience. As well you will visit a famous perfumery house and become a nose for a moment. This will be a memorable and creative while together.

Do you want to make your unique perfume? please contact us

Are you a romantic artist ?

Discover a unique place of Paris: Montmartre. This place is known for its artistic and folklore aspects. You will cross invisible frontiers and walk away the most touristic places. Our guide will make you discover famous paintings on the site their where painted. Moreover, you will learn the cancan and discover the Sacré-Coeur secrets unrevealed by the official guides, medias and historical books.

The artistic and folklore aspect interests you? Please contact us we will have pleasure to make bespoke arrangements just for you.

New: Are you an oenology fan?

Have a private wine tasting in the cellar of the famous Tour d’Argent restaurant. Live a memorable and privileged moment in the cellar of this exceptional Parisian restaurant, the oldest of the capital and Michelin-starred. You will discover the enchanting universe of its private cellar and taste the greatest wines and Grand Crus with the Chef sommelier in this high historical setting. This will be a magical and unique experience for you and your beloved.

This unique experience is for you? Please contact us for bespoke arrangements.

New: Have you already found the “rare pearl”?

Thanks to our jewelry expert and gemologist, you will be guided and advised to find, or better custom-create the perfect jewelry for your beloved. She will accompany you in the most famous and luxurious jewelry houses and independent creators in their workshops. You will live an amazing experience and memorable moment of complicity.

You are looking for the best jewelry for you beloved? Please contact us.

All in all, above is a bench of original ideas we have curated for you in order to celebrate your unforgettable valentine’s day.

The price range of our offers is, upon the experience and availability, starting for 450euros (for two persons) up to 4000euros (for two persons).

If you are interested by one or another experience, don’t hesitate to contact us, we’ll make a very specific and bespoke arrangement for you.

This year the Michelin guide, has decided to reveal his rewards Monday, January 27^th at the Pavillon Gabriel. This event is the most important of the year for French Chefs.

The Michelin guide has decided to reward 628 French tables; however, this is four less than last year.

However, this year apart for a few exceptions highly mediatized such as Bocuse restaurant, or the restaurant l’Auberge de Vert Mont which loses its unique star, all the three stars restaurant will conserve their standing.

Last night, three restaurants have been promoted to a third Michelin-star:

• Christophe Coutanceau and his restaurant at La Rochelle (Charente-Maritime)
• Kei Kobayashi and his restaurant in Paris
• Finally, the restaurant L’Ousteau de Baumanière at Baux-de-Provence

The 11 new two-stared restaurants:

• L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon Étoile (Paris)
• La Scène (Paris)
• L’Abysse au Pavillon Ledoyen (Paris)
• Taillevent (Paris)
• Skiff Club (Arcachon)
• Sakara (Courchevel)
• La Table de l’Alpaga (Megève)
• La Voile (Ramatuelle)
• La Table de Saint-Crescent (Narbonne)
• Racine (Reims)
• Py-r (Toulouse)

The first Michelin-starred restaurants in Paris:

• Fleur de Pavé (2^nd district)
• Marcore (2^nd district)
• Anne (3^rd district)
• Le Sergent Recruteur (4^th district)
• Solstice (5^th district)
• Le Jules Verne, the gastronomic restaurant of the Eiffel Tower with its new Chef Frédéric Anton (7^th district)
• PavYllon (8^th district)
• Aspic (9^th district)
• L’Innocence (9^th district)
• Le Rigmarole (11^th district)
• L’Oiseau Blanc (16^th district)
• Le Faham by Kelly Rangama (17^th district)
• Jacques Faussat (17^th district)

Furthermore, it is very interesting to note that this year the guide is adding 72 new “Bib Gourmand.”

Indeed, in this gastronomy universe, thanks to its numerous partnerships ArtLuxury Experience, can offer the privatizing in several Michelin-starred restaurants, such as the Michelin third-starred Chef Alain Ducasse or the Grand Véfour restaurant two-starred with the Chef Guy Martin… We will have the pleasure to organize for you this gourmet experience.

FASHION WEEK OF PARIS, Fall/Winter, January 14th – 23rd, 2020:

The Fashion week of Paris is a week event which exists since 1973 and is organized every six months. It is the event for all the creators, and fashion houses such as Louis Vuitton. An exceptional and luxurious event in which all the most influent persons of the showbiz are invited like the Beckham family, Rihanna, Beyoncé and many other famous influencers, as well as prestigious celebrities, stars, princesses and representants of the high society.

This year the Fashion week puts at honor men and haute couture.
The first week is dedicated to the collection Fall/Winter 2020/21 for men. This week begins on January 14th,2020 at 5:30pm with a Japanese luxurious streetwear brand for men Sankuarz.

The Fall/Winter edition reserves lots of surprises with new creators invited for instance the Israeli creator Galia Lahav or the Maison Rabih Kayrouv.

During this week fashion, creators and luxurious haute couture houses such as OFF-White, Valentino, Givenchy, Louis Vuitton, Dior Homme, Balmain with his so talented creator Olivier Rousteing, Loewe, Hermès will present their last creations for this collection and specular shows. The week will end with 1017 ALYX 9SM a luxurious streetwear brand at 7:00pm.

The second week (01/20, 01/23) is dedicated to the Haute couture Spring/Summer collection. Schiaparelli opens this event and will be followed by Dior, Azzaro Couture, two shows one after the other for Chanel, Giorgio Armani Private, Givenchy, Valentino, Jean Paul Gautier and famous creators just as Stéphane Rolland.
The creator Imane Ayssi will close this week.
This week dedicated to the haute couture is the event the most important of this Fashion week 2020.

The Fashion week is also the moment for new young creators to organize shows in the street in order to promote their last creations.

Loewe, an haute couture fashion house part of LVMH, originally specialized in luxury leather like Hermès, will be present during the first week dedicated for men, on Saturday, January 18th,2020 at midday.

Indeed, in this fashion universe, ArtLuxury Experience offers the bespoke services of a personal shopper and fashion coach. She is not only inviting you for a shopping moment in the most prestigious fashion houses avenue Montaigne and Saint Honoré but also in luxury brands consignments stores, as well as meeting young creators in the Marais district.
Haven’t you dreamed of a personal coach for your shopping in Paris?
Please contact us for further arrangements.

ArtLuxury Experience and La Tour d’Argent have recently set up an exceptional partnership with an exclusive gastronomic offering!

“La Tour d’Argent” is one of the oldest restaurants in France and Europe since 1582, the place is renowned for the excellence and expertise deployed in the confection of meals, it is an unmissable place when one wants to discover the top of the French gastronomy.

This iconic Restaurant is located just right down the emblematic cathedral “Notre Dame de Paris” on the edge of the Seine river and  Latin Quarter. The dining room is upstairs and offers an unbelievable view of Paris, our unique City of Light, and of course its mythical monument.

For several centuries, “la Tour d’Argent” has become the symbol of excellence and expertise in the world of gastronomy; with more than 320 000 bottles, it still owns today one of the biggest private wine cellar in the country, including the top of the top Grands Crus as well as most exclusive vintage collections (the oldest bottle dates from 1789!!)

A magical experience we recommend would the private visit of these famous cellars with the Head-Sommelier in person: he will then share his passion and expertise for a memorable wine tasting of the greatest treasures listed in this mythical wine cellar.

ArtLuxury Experience invites you to discover this exceptional Tour d’Argent and propose to arrange for you fully taylor-made gastronomic experiences, such as this exclusive wine tasting in the cellar with the Head-Sommelier.

In 2021 the Grand Palais closes its doors to the general public! But this is not definitive ! This iconic monument is in fact preparing to host the Olympic Games of 2024. Indeed the Grand Palais will take place some events of the future Olympic Games 2024.

This is an opportunity to offer a new skin to the monument. The budget of more than 465 million euros will allow this unique building, more than a century old, built on the occasion of the World Expo of 1900, to welcome new audiences within the museum.

The challenge is therefore twofold: on the one hand, this historic site is experiencing an unprecedented change to give way to a new experience. The building itself will be openly accessible for tourists who will be able to visit for free upon their wishes.

On the other hand, on the occasion of the Olympic Games 2024, an innovative mix will be created, allowing to meet art and sport on a mythical French cultural scene. No other city in the world can offer this unique context to the history of France.

But the main information is as follows: throughout the duration of the works from 2021 to 2024, the usual activities and events hosted in the Grand Palais will be maintained.

Indeed, an “Ephemeral Grand Palace” will be built on the “Champ de Mars”, at the opposite side of the Eiffel Tower, created by none other than the famous architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, imagined with the concern for both, sobriety and respect for insertion in the site.

If the idea of ​​discovering the exhibitions of the Grand Palais seduces you, right now, as for example the today famous exhibitions on Le Gréco or Toulouse Lautrec, or later in the future ephemeral Grand Palais, do not hesitate to contact us, ArtLuxury can arrange for you a private guided tour.

MAISON LVMH

Art – Talent – Patrimoine

At the heart of the Bois-de-Boulogne, the Maison LVMH will open in 2020, with the aim of becoming a new multi-disciplinary cultural Institution for Paris. This place will be dedicated to artists and live performances, as well as applied arts and artisanal craftsmanship.

Famous French luxury leader, Bernard Arnault is the instigator of this ambitious project. His objective is to emphasize the architecture and the cultural vocation of this innovative building. Indeed, the concept behind is to highlight this cutting-edge environment as a space for exalting the vitality of crafts, arts and entertainment.

World-renown architects namely Frank Gehry, author of the famed Louis Vuitton Foundation, as well as Thomas Dubuisson will revisit the former museum into THE unmissable place such as the Louis Vuitton Foundation located nearby.

Basically, it will showcase two separate rooms, a first one holding concert or event up to 4000 persons and another one dedicated to exhibitions.

Before coming to this place after its opening why not planning in the meantime the visit of major Paris museum and exhibition

Just contact us

The black model, from Géricault to Matisse                                  

In 1791, shortly after the French Revolution, was proclaimed a first decree of abolition of slavery, a point of historical rupture that marks the emergence of the “black model” in Western art, among which portraits of individuals emancipated blacks like Thomas Alexandre Dumas painted by Louis Gauffier or Madeleineby Marie-Guillemine Benoist. If these works gradually occupy an important place in the artistic space created by the political and social revolution of the time, they also bear witness to ambiguities peculiar to their time. Worn by three highlights – the time of the abolition of slavery (1794-1848), the time of the New Painting (Manet, Bazille, Degas, Cézanne) and the time of the first avant-gardes of the twentieth century – this exhibition offers a new look at a subject that has been neglected for too long: the important contribution of black people and personalities to the history of the arts. The goal is to give back to all these “black models”, forgotten in the story of modernity; a name, a story, a visibility.

One of the first artists to express his involvement in this fraternal struggle is Géricault, with his famous painting, The Raft of the Medusa , which recounts the dismal colonial expedition of the frigate La Médusein the summer of 1816, off the coast of Mauritania. Indeed, if the first sketch of the painting strikes by the absence of any Black, the final composition has three: by multiplying the black figures in his table, Géricault summarizes his fight for abolitionism. We know that he used his paintings, the famous model Joseph, originally from Haiti, also represented by Theodore Chasseriau. Known by his first name, Joseph was one of the most famous artist models of the nineteenth century, spotted by Chasseriau in a troupe of acrobats and became official model of the School of Fine Arts.

In the fight against slavery, art also becomes a means of denouncing what the victims of an inhuman system endure. Marcel Verdier, student of Ingres, to be refused his Punishment of the four stakesat the Salon of 1843. The painting lifts the veil on the colonial reality, breaking taboos; a visual shock that raises public awareness and makes them feel guilty by confronting them with their own indifference or passivity. Thus, the spectacle of a humanity under the irons, martyred and suffering a terrible spell, was widely exploited in the 1840s. It was not until the abolition of slavery in the colonies in 1848 to finally celebrate this symbolic measure by black and white paintings are gathered, where the jubilant freedmen, broken chains and fraternal unity can finally express themselves, like the painting of Nicolas Gosse, the freed slave .

Later, in the nineteenth century, artists want to detach themselves from stereotypes associated with black characters and represent them in the manner of intimate portraits and individualized: this is how Baudelaire chose to represent Jeanne Duval, Haitian origins and who will share his life from 1842, marking his haunting presence The Flowers of Eviland the poet’s designs. Several works by Baudelaire evoke and represent it; the one he calls “the feline”, a beauty sometimes kind, sometimes disturbing … But painting and literature are not the only arts in which we find more and more black personalities: the scene of the show has many original artists from the United States or the Caribbean. Among them we can mention the Havana musician Maria Martinez, the Shakespearian actor Ira Aldridge, the virtuoso pianist Blind Tom, the aerial acrobat Miss La La, represented by Degas, as well as the clown Rafael known as Chocolat, star of the Moulin Red with his white friend Foottit.

After the 1960s, it was the advent of jazz and musical and artistic culture born in the Harlem district of the United States. Many intellectuals like Du Bois, Alain Locke, musicians like Louis Armstrong or Billie Holliday … defend a modern and urban black culture that fascinates French artists as Matisse himself will be fascinated by New York, its skyscrapers, its light and his “musicals”. The Harlem Renaissance and pop and today destroy taboos and stereotypes like the reinterpretation of the famous Olympia Manet, where it is no longer a white woman and a black servant but a black woman and a white servant who compose the work, all the referents being then reversed.

If you want us to organize for you a personalized visit of the Musée d’Orsay with a passionate and qualified guide, do not hesitate any more and contact us  !

Notre-Dame de Paris : une Histoire gravée dans la pierre

La cathédrale Notre-Dame surplombe la ville de Paris depuis plus de 850 ans. Elle se dresse majestueusement au cœur de l’Ile de la Cité, centre historique de la ville de Paris. Pilier des arts et foyer de la chrétienté, Notre-Dame est un monument cher à tous. Notre cathédrale, fleuron du patrimoine français, se dresse comme un symbole gravé dans la pierre, de notre histoire et de notre culture. Véritable joyau de l’architecture gothique, elle a été consacrée en 1163 et avait résisté jusqu’ici à de nombreuses menaces de destruction au cours des guerres qui ont dévasté la France. Malheureusement, et de la façon la plus triste et bouleversante, elle n’a pu résister au violent incendie qui s’est déclaré dans la nuit du 15 au 16 avril. Si les dégâts ont été considérables, la structure de la cathédrale a pu être sauvée et préservée dans sa globalité. Épisode traumatisant de ces derniers jours, nous retiendrons surtout le formidable élan de solidarité et d’émotion qui a rassemblé chrétiens, parisiens, français et étrangers autour de l’Ile de la Cité, pour se recueillir, prier, témoigner à travers les nombreuses photos qui ont pu circuler, ou tout simplement être présent dans un moment, qui, nous l’avons ressenti, restera un moment marquant de l’Histoire.

Avec bonheur, nous pouvons toujours admirer la façade occidentale de Notre-Dame, avec ses trois portes riches en décorations symboliques et éléments bibliques, qui ornent celle qui reste l’une des plus belles églises gothiques du monde. La porte centrale est connue comme le portail du Jugement dernier, la porte sud comme le portail de Sainte Anne et enfin, le portail de la Vierge au nord. Sous la balustrade, la spectaculaire galerie des rois, avec ses 28 statues représentant les rois de Juda, s’étend le long d’une large frise horizontale. Malgré la destruction de la flèche à cause de l’incendie, les deux impressionnants clochers du XIIIe siècle s’élèvent encore dans le ciel de Paris. De même, la sublime rosace de la façade sud, a miraculeusement survécu au désastre : ses 13 mètres de verre étincelant et coloré continuent de resplendir à la lumière du jour, révélant et éclairant d’une manière unique la majesté de l’architecture médiévale de l’édifice. La voûte qui la surplombe de ses 33 mètres de haut, malgré les piliers impressionnants qui la soutiennent, semble défier la gravité elle-même.

L’incendie aurait pu détruire les reliques précieuses conservées dans la cathédrale, mais celles-ci ont pu être sauvées de justesse ! Le Trésor de Notre Dame de Paris se trouvait dans la sacristie au sud du chœur, il a pu être transféré le soir de l’accident à la Mairie de Paris puis sera mis en sécurité au Louvre. La plus précieuse des reliques, la Sainte Couronne d’épines, posée selon la croyance des catholiques, sur la tête de Jésus peu avant sa crucifixion, a pu être sauvée des flammes. Deux autres reliques, un morceau de la Croix et un clou de la Passion, ont été sauvés ainsi que la tunique de Saint Louis. Le grand orgue du XVe siècle est lui aussi sauvé, même si sa structure a souffert, recouverte par des gravats, de la poussière et de l’eau. Quelque 13 millions de visiteurs affluaient chaque année pour voir ces objets, les plus précieux et les plus vénérés de la cathédrale… Aujourd’hui il n’est plus possible de visiter Notre Dame, qui restera en travaux pendant quelques années. Cependant, ne vous privez pas pour autant de la visite de l’île de la Cité et de l’île Saint Louis, qui représentent le cœur de la capitale, son centre historique cerclé d’eau. Les deux îles parisiennes, portent les marques visibles et encore flamboyantes d’un temps où Paris se nommait encore Lutèce, et révèlent à l’air libre leur beauté insubmersible.

Si vous souhaitez vous promener au cœur de ses îles et admirer le temps d’une balade, les monument historiques et majestueux, les jolies petites rues authentiques et les délicieux restaurants qu’elles recèlent, accompagnés d’un guide passionné et passionnant, n’hésitez pas à nous contacter et à regarder notre proposition de visite !

The Eiffel Tower: 130 years of splendor

We are in the Paris of the Belle Époque, on the occasion of the 1889 Universal Exhibition. The French Ministry of Industry and Commerce is organising a competition to celebrate the centenary of the French Revolution and Gustave Eiffel, an engineer and industrialist, wants to take up the challenge, with the ambition of building a “tower more than a thousand feet high”, a bold project that haunts all architects of the time. Indeed, no building has ever reached such a height, and Gustave Eiffel must fight to defend the project he is carrying out with his collaborators, Émile Nouguier and Maurice Kœchlin.

However, his project was unanimously accepted, he won over the other candidates and obtained an agreement with the government in 1887, which granted him a prime location on the banks of the Seine and in the very centre of the city of Paris. The work necessary beforehand to allow the construction of the tower is titanic and frightens the Parisians, who wonder about the impossible achievement of a scale never seen before… But they are quickly amazed by the rapid progress of the site and the appearance of one floor, then another, seeming to defy the laws of gravity. The spectators watch, dazed, as this magnificent building is elevated, at an impressive rate of twelve metres per month.  Bernard Marray, Gustave Eiffel’s great admirer, evokes in one of these works this “amazing technical feat” and its “remarkable speed of execution”. Indeed, it is only at the end of two years, two months and five days that the tower, “the highest in the world” is finally inaugurated.

On 31 March 1889, Gustave Eiffel took up the challenge and signed a masterpiece of architecture, which soon became the symbol of the city of Paris. He himself raised the french flag at the top of the Tower in the presence of the Director of the Universal Exhibition, some of his collaborators and the great personalities of the Government and the City of Paris. All are dazzled by this prodigious building. The celebration then continues at the foot of the Tower where Gustave Eiffel pays tribute to his teams and in particular to the 300 workers who built, later called the Iron Lady. It should be noted that at its birth, the Tower was red in colour!

“I have just experienced a great satisfaction, that of having flown our national flag on the tallest building man has ever built” Gustave Eiffel

The Eiffel Tower was a massive success and was the main attraction of the 1889 Exhibition. In the first week after its completion, nearly 30,000 visitors climbed the 1710 steps to reach the summit, which offers an extraordinary view of the city. Elevators only come into service later, but they also represent real technical feats. The height of the Eiffel Tower allowed it to obtain the title of “the highest structure in the world” until 1930, when it was to be deconstructed at the end of the Universal Exhibition, and when we thought it was an ephemeral masterpiece… The Iron Lady still stands before our dazzled eyes, and today celebrates her 130th birthday.

We would be more than happy to show you our beautiful Eiffel Tower during a VIP tour: if you are interested, do not hesitate to contact us here.

La Pyramide du Louvre fête ses 30 ans

Monument iconique parisien, le Louvre trône au centre de Paris depuis déjà plus de 200 ans, et est aujourd’hui le plus grand musée d’art et d’antiquités au monde. Il possède une longue histoire autour de la conservation artistique et historique, depuis l’Ancien Régime jusqu’à nos jours. Mais qu’en est-il de cette étonnante Pyramide de verre, qui se dresse devant le musée ?

Pensé par l’architecte sino-américain de renom, Ieoh Ming Pei, auteur d’une des ailes de la National Gallery of Art de Washington, le projet était d’aménager une nouvelle grande entrée au Louvre, afin de recevoir les visiteurs de plus en plus nombreux et de réagencer par la même occasion l’intérieur du musée. Annoncé en septembre 1981 par le Président de la République, François Mitterrand, ce projet, qui prend le nom de « Grand Louvre », a pour ambition de restituer au musée la totalité du Palais du Louvre, puisque l’aile Richelieu était autrefois occupée par les bureaux du ministère des Finances. En 1983, Ieoh Ming Pei est désigné par le Président pour élaborer ce grand projet, qui bouleversera l’image du musée du Louvre en lui donnant une toute nouvelle ampleur, tant nationale qu’internationale.

Plus qu’un projet d’architecture, la Pyramide s’est révélée être un véritable défi. Sa réalisation en verre représente un prodige technologique ; un pari fou pour son auteur… Celle-ci reprend les proportions exactes de la célèbre Pyramide de Khéops, choix de figure qui n’est pas sans rappeler l’Obélisque déjà présente non loin du musée, place de la Concorde, mais aussi la fabuleuse collection d’antiquités égyptienne qui fait la richesse du Louvre. Cependant, l’architecte est exigeant et ambitieux, il souhaite que sa Pyramide soit tellement transparente, qu’elle permette de voir la pierre du Louvre comme si rien n’était devant lui. Or, rechercher la transparence parfaite s’est avéré être un défi difficile pour les ingénieurs, qui ont finalement donné naissance à une gamme de verre spéciale pour la construction, qui sera appelé la gamme « Diamant ». De fait avec ses 673 plaques de verre, la Pyramide du Louvre brille tel un gigantesque diamant, qui apporte une lumière grandiose au site et permet au musée de jouir d’une lumière exceptionnelle. Pour ses 35,42 mètres de largeur et ses 21,34 mètres de hauteur, la Pyramide est constituée de 95 tonnes d’acier et 105 tonnes d’aluminium qui soutiennent tous les carreaux de verre.

Très redoutée par les parisiens à l’époque, la Pyramide du Louvre s’est parfaitement intégrée au Palais et est aujourd’hui devenue le symbole du musée et un incontournable du patrimoine parisien. Elle est récemment devenue le terrain de jeu du célèbre street-artist JR, qui par un collage gigantesque avait réussi en 2016 un coup de maître, en faisant disparaître totalement la Pyramide aux yeux des visiteurs. Cette année, à l’occasion des 30 ans de la Pyramide, il revient avec un projet d’une même ampleur, puisque cette fois l’objectif est de créer une illusion d’optique autour de la Pyramide pour la faire « sortir de terre » et « révéler le secret de sa fondation » par un immense collage au sol. En plus de cette création artistique extraordinaire, le Louvre prévoit une trentaine d’évènements jusqu’en février 2010 pour célébrer le monument de verre.

Il ne vous reste plus qu’à venir admirer cette Pyramide iconique et d’en profiter pour visiter le célèbre musée du Louvre accompagnés d’un passionné d’histoire de l’art… N’hésitez plus et rendez-vous sur la page de l’offre, ou bien contactez-nous pour vivre une expérience unique au cœur de la culture parisienne.

L’Orient des peintres : du rêve à la lumière

A Paris, le musée Marmottan-Monet présente, depuis le 7 mars et jusqu’au 21 juillet 2019, l’exposition « L’Orient des peintres, du rêve à la lumière ». Riche d’une soixantaine de chefs-d’œuvre provenant des plus importantes collections publiques et privées d’Europe et des États-Unis (musée du Louvre, musée d’Orsay, musée des Augustins de Toulouse, la Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus de Munich, la collection Thyssen-Bornemisza de Madrid, le Rijksmuseum d’Amsterdam, le Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute de Williamstown), l’exposition entend révéler à travers ce voyage en Orient le regard des peintres sur ce monde fantasmé. En effet, portés par le souffle impétueux des conquêtes napoléoniennes, les peintres européens ont fantasmé l’Orient, parfois avant même que leurs rêves ne soient mis à l’épreuve du voyage.

Ce que nous remarquons en parcourant l’exposition, c’est que voyage en Orient est indissociablement lié à la sensualité de la figure féminine, représenté par Ingres et Delacroix aux premières heures de l’art moderne, mais aussi à l’expérience d’un paysage unique et d’une lumière qui bouleverse les regards et nous emmène dans un autre monde, loin de Paris. L’exposition présentée au Musée Marmottan-Monet donne à voir à ses visiteurs deux thèmes que sont les figures et les paysages. L’exposition nous fait voyager à travers l’Orient méditerranéen, nous permettant d’admirer les représentations d’une beauté féminine orientale dans toute sa sensualité, mais aussi en nous immergeant totalement dans une ambiance intime rappelant celle des cours orientales, grâce à des jeux de lumière et de couleurs.

Les tableaux se révèlent à nous comme des fenêtres ouvertes sur un désert aride, sur une jungle luxuriante ou bien une fontaine d’eau fraîche dans un décor ottoman de mosaïques bleues. Certains tableaux comme La Petite Baigneuse ou La Grande Odalisque de Ingres témoignent de l’envoutement du peintre par la beauté classique orientaliste et incarnent un rêve de beauté féminine idéale fantasmé pour sa sensualité et l’érotisme d’un corps imprégné de fantasmes. De même, les lieux apparaissent nimbés d’une aura de rêve et de désir notamment la représentation de la scène du Bain Maure de Jules Migonnay ou encore le Massage, scène de hammam de Édouard Debat-Ponsan dont le contraste des corps noir et blanc lui a valu sa célébrité scandaleuse lors de son exposition en 1865.

Or, d’autres peintres tendent à s’éloigner de la représentation d’un Orient idéalisé et cherche à nous donner à voir une réalité, moins rêvée, moins fantasmées mais bien réelle : celle du désert, de l’aridité, de la chaleur étouffante, de la soif et parfois même, de la mort. Eugène Fromentin dans son tableau de La Rue Bab-el-Gharbi à Laghouat présente une peinture scindée en deux, l’ombre et la lumière, la mort et la vie. Il met en scène dans la partie sombre, des corps étendus à même le sol, cherchant sans doute un refuge dans la fraîcheur limitée de l’ombre de la rue.

Plus loin dans l’exposition, nous sommes projetés dans des décors luxuriants : le Champ de Bananiers de Renoir et d’autres tableaux où la jungle domine à perte de vue, étrange sentiment de petitesse face à une nature aussi envoutante qu’hostile. En tournant la tête on peut aussi admirer la vue d’une Mer calme, d’Albert Marquet, ce qui finalement nous fait réaliser l’ambiance paradoxale de l’Orient telle qu’elle est imaginée et vécue par les peintres européens : un Orient sensuel, lascif et royaume de vie, qui peut aussi se transformer en terre aride et inhospitalière, dans laquelle l’homme navigue rêve et cauchemar…

Si vous souhaitez que nous vous organisions une visite privée d’exposition ou de musées à Paris… contactez-nous ici.

This week, under the burning Parisian sun, we have met our fashionable partner, a personal stylist and a personal shopper. We strolled around the emblematic Marais distirct, entering in a few boutiques and then interviewed Aloïs in the gardens of the Hôtel de Soubise.

Discover Paris fashion, Marais district or others and their myriad of boutiques. Guided by Aloïs, Parisian chic will be no mystery for you!

Discover the art of fashion, style and latest trends through a shopping tour in Paris, from the Marais district to more luxurious shops, feel free to choose your own environment.

To organise the tour, click here.

An exclusive interview on a French “savoir-vivre” coach.

A lesson of excellence.

ArtLuxury had the great chance to interview Sophie de la Bigne, our elegant coach in French “savoir vivre” and “étiquette”.
In this video she shows us how to lay a table in the “règles de l’art”, according to the rules which were set in Versailles a few centuries ago.
Etiquette and protocol will soon have no more secrets for you!

Participate to an exceptional dinner in an exclusive restaurant where you will be guided throughout the dinner by a passionate specialist of the “Parisian chic ” which is known the world over. Expert for more than two decades in French good manners, she will unlock for you the unwritten codes of proper conduct at dinner in French high society.

For more information, click here:

This summer, emblematic Parisian museums gave themselves the word: Rodin and Picasso have been put on a pedestral in the museum Rodin as well as in the Garnier Opera. Several works of both artists are being exposed, all having the same theme: dance. ArtLuxury went to admire these masterpieces and takes you to meet these painters who managed to give life to motionless statues and paintings.

Even if these exhibitions have similar names: ” Rodin and the dance ” and ” Picasso and the dance “, they are far from being alike. The artists explore the theme of dance from almost opposite manners. One tries to capture the movement on an immobile support while the other one participates in the creation of decorations and costumes for ballet performances. Let yourself be guided in this atmosphere of bliss and euphoria, discovering the masterpieces of these emblematic artists.

Everything started in the Rodin museum, it is at the heart of the seventh district that we can admire the famous Thinker of the sculptor. The talent of the artist does not stop at this masterpiece, Rodin has also created numerous sculptures representing ” movements of dance “.

From 1890s, new experiences transformed the art of dance, far from codified entertainment it was before. Sensitive about those innovations, Rodin is interested in exceptional personalities, among whom Loïe Fuller and Hanako. One of the climax of these meetings is his encounter with Cambodian dancers in representation in Paris for the World Fair. At their departure, Rodin will say that ” they took the beauty of the world with them “. The complicity shared with these people brings Rodin to unite dance and sculpture. He is fascinated in all types of dances, from regional or oriental folk dances, cabaret dancers, to personalities of the contemporary dance.

What is fascinating in the masterpieces of Rodin, is his ease to represent movement. Gesture is neither smoothed, nor schematized, but melted, recomposed, every decomposition of the body is present, penciled, modelled there in itself before becoming movements. Rodin seized dance in his essence, as it appeared to him during shows, more at the peace, in his studio, a model taking the pose. The exhibition puts forward various Movements of dance, it redraws all the researches and experiments realized by Rodin. Expressing the life of bodies, translating their energy and the human effort which it demands, this is what the artist searched for.

Whereas Rodin studies the movements and the body as if it was almost a mathematical structure, Picasso has a completely different approach, he contributed to ballets.

We knew that Picasso had met his first wife, Olga, in the troop of the Russian ballets. But what we ignored, it is that he had created his first decorations and theatrical costumes for the same Russian ballets, in the 1915s, at the request of Jean Cocteau.

In this exhibition, we can discoverer many creations of Picasso around the universe of  ballet but also how it influenced the artist in his  works. For example, he was asked to create costumes for a Spanish ballet named “Tricorne” , with the music of Manuel de Falla. Pablo Picasso created typical Spanish costumes of Sévillanes with mantillas. Further in his life, we can observe how dance inspired him in his works, even in scenes of bullfight.

From dancers of circus, erotic dancers to scenes of bacchanalia, everything seems to be a pretext to represent bodies in movement. The danced movements are omnipresent in the work of the artist, sometimes going as far as being present in his artistic process.

These two very different exhibitions show us how dance inspired these artists, colourful and in discoveries they knew how to make dance Paris during all summer!

To discover the mysteries of the Opéra Garnier, let yourself be guided by a historian who will tell you all the secrets of this marvelous place, click here for more information.

Here comes the second edition of the Exceptional Rendez-Vous, we have met our sparkling and creative partner: Laurence de Marliave. Great painter and genius teacher, she has been studying at the Penninghen School of graphical arts, she then remarkably graduated the Beaux Art of Paris, becoming a gifted and skilled painter. In an exclusive interview, we ask Laurence about her thrilling job and passion.

What is your creative process?

I draw and paint every day, like a pianist practices his fingering. When I walk in the streets or when I take the metro, I try to imagine how I would draw people and things which surround me.

I really give a great importance to real life drawing, I think that it is crucial to create in live. Whereas many artists take pictures of what they want to paint, I think that doing this takes away the spontaneity of the artwork. The emotions are less powerful, the representations are less authentic and the movements seem cold and inanimate.

I think that instead of using technologies, we have to trust our own memory and inspiration.

In my pictorial work, a few characteristics stand out. What I really enjoy is creating structures. In front of a white canvas, I love to organize the space. I am passionate by architecture. I keep asking myself this question: “How can I represent structure on a flat material?” This is quite challenging!

I also give a great importance to light, chiaroscuro is most of the time present in my works. I enjoy mixing colors, they create the light and they make the art piece seem alive.

Have you been influenced by any artists or art periods?

I am passionate about the great Dutch artists. I love Vermeer for the calm and serenity which come out of the interiors he painted. We can find a lot of windows in his paintings, he has the talent to fill his interiors with light.

My favorite work of Vermeer is the Geographer, the character looks at a world map. He is probably standing in a room in Holland and is dreaming about travelling.

Why did you decide to travel?

This time, I was influenced by Delacroix and his sketchbook. I had the opportunity to travel all around the world. I had the chance to visit many countries like China, Italy, Greece, Russia and this year to discover Iran.

The work of keeping a carnet de voyage requires capturing emotions and impressions of the moment that you are painting. It is real life painting, in front of the object or the subject. It is a way to get in contact with the inhabitants of the countries I visit. I am determined that art is a universal language.

From the moment I started painting on my sketchbook, children came around to see, mothers who looked for their children came too. At the end, it was the whole village which came together. Yes, art brings people together.

You spend your life painting and travelling, your life must be exciting?

We often have the image of the artist, standing alone in his studio, trying to find inspiration. I think that art is before anything else a transmission and a way to express ourselves. This is why I teach art. I try to communicate my passion to people. In the Atelier de l’Étoile, there are between seventy and ninety students coming per year. For them, art is a way to get away from their busy daily life. They take the time to breathe and to be creative. It is a great way to forget just for an hour everything which annoys you.

How would you describe your work?

My work? I would not say it is a work, I would call it a labor. It is hard. I constantly need to find inspiration, it is a work of perseverance. I is also out of the time since I do not see the time when I paint. It requires real commitment, I would say that it is a vocation.

It seems that in France, people are monomaniacs about conceptual art. I think that it is a shame that it is so much explored whereas there are so many different areas waiting to be discovered. I think that we need to go abroad in order to be more open-minded.

I think that I am both part of traditional and modern art. My aim is not to shock, I want to communicate beauty and emotions.

ArtLuxury offers you the great opportunity to spend some time with a genuine French artist. Have you always dreamed to capture Paris? ArtLuxuyry gives you the great opportunity to capture the city of lights…on a canva!

Here is our selection:

Meet a Parisian artist: this established painter and teacher will greet you in her studio near the Etoile and the Champs Elysées, 

Become an artist: Become an artist: penetrate an artist’s workshop and enter her universe to create your own work (which you may keep) in the manner of Van Gogh, Matisse, Bakusen and other major French and Dutch painters.

Artist in the making: this ludicrous and pedagogic approach will enable your children to leave with their own paintings and/or posters.

For more bespoke arrangements, contact us.

In the midst of a hectic Paris there lies a place filled with tranquility and calmness; the Square Louis Jouvet. In the middle of the grand Haussmann buildings there stands a statue of a poet riding a Pegasus. Nothing is more inspiring than that!

It is on this small street where we can find the Fragonard museum. This world-renowned perfumery house opens their doors to us and invites us to discover the magical art of perfumes. As soon as we enter the museum we are immediately met  with exhalations of various scents, inviting us to an unforgettable journey.

ArtLuxury Experience has visited this magical world of French perfume, and we invite you to be transported to a memorable olfactory experience, so get ready to discover all the secrets of this famous perfumery.

Created by the great grandson of the founder of Fragonard, Jean-François Costa, the museum houses numerous perfumery objects in their collection. Due to his passion of perfume he decided to collect rare pieces, mostly perfume bottles coming from all historical periods: from ancient Egypt to present day. Perfume bottles have evolved tremendously over time; from simple containers in ancient  Greece they have today become the center of modern marketing strategies.

We are told, during our visit, various anecdotes concerning the use of perfume by our ancestors. We learned in the Middle Age people who used perfume thought it would protect them from catching the plague. During the time of King Louis XIV, courtiers over used this precious liquid: instead of washing themselves with soap and water, they cleaned their skin with their eau de toilette!

The visit continues and we are transported into the universe of perfume creation. It is in Grasse, the world capital city of perfume, where the Fragonard perfumery was born. It was just before the beginning of World War One that Eugène Fuchs decided to start his own perfume company. Creative and ambitious, he came up with a new concept; directly selling his perfume products to clients and visitors. In tribute to the famous painter Jean-Honoré Fragonard (17-1806), a Grasse native, the founder of the perfumery decided to call the company Fragonard. The choice of the name expressed his desire to run his business in accordance with French traditions.

Then, we are taught the different techniques used to extract flower essence. After the extraction, they are mixed with other various essences resulting in an exceptional aromatic bouquet. Numbers are gigantic: to produce one liter of rose essence, at least three tones of flowers are needed. Later, we are given a small lesson on the structure of perfume. A perfume is divided into three classes according to the scents that can be sensed in different periods of time after the application. We first have the “top note”, the scent which can be sensed immediately after the perfume is applied. Then, there is the “middle note”, the one which appears as soon as the “top note” disappears. It characterizes the perfume. Finally, we have the “base note”, it dissipates gradually and fixes the perfume to make it last in time. Perfume is therefore not an immovable entity, it adapts and evolves depending on its surroundings.

After going around a room exposing a large number of perfume flasks labels, we are being led to a counter on which displays the most famous perfumes of the house. We got the opportunity to smell but also to guess the different essences used for its creation. To the most common smells like rose or lavender to more unusual ones like black pepper or marshmallow. After this blind test, we had the chance to attend a short perfume application lesson. We are told not to rub our skin with perfume since it breaks the molecules of the scent. Two “pschitt” on your wrist are enough, you then delicately need to apply the rest of the perfume on your neck and behind your ears. Perfume has no secret for us now!

To conclude with this visit, we were free to wander around the boutique where we could smell all of Fragonard’s famous perfumes. Visiting this place was unforgettable, everything is beautiful, for the nose as well as for the eyes: a real sensory delight!

It is undeniable, Fragonard Perfumery embodies perfectly the French art de vivre.

ArtLuxury Experience would be delighted to offer this unique experience: starting with a visit of this museum you will be then invited to a workshop in which you will have the opportunity to become a nose the time of a perfume composition. Guided by a professor, create by yourself your eau de toilette. Mix different essences depending on your taste in order to create a unique scent: your own.

Interested? To take part in this unforgettable experience click here.

About Constance Guisset

Born in 1976, Constance Guisset is a French contemporary designer well known in the design World.

After studying economics at ESSEC and politics at Sciences Po Paris, she turned herself towards industrial design studying at ENSCI.

Very versatile, Constance Guisset is as talented in design as she is in installation and scenography. With a subtle and delicious touch of impertinence, she likes to take action, create, respond to demand, sidestep it, and sometimes provoke it too.

Besides, she won many prizes in design and scenography such as Paris Grand Design Prize, Creator of the year – Maison&Objet, Designer’s Days price for best scenography, Wallpaper prize “Best Use of Color”, …

She has worked in collaboration with big design studios all around the World and today is showcased in many museums such as Centre Pompidou and is demanded for exhibitions scenography. She also works in collaboration with famous brands like Monoprix or Cyrillus.

About the exhibition

In the heart of Paris cultural center, the musée des Arts Décoratifs welcomes you after the huge success of Dior exhibition to dream through Constance Guisset’s work.

Just in between the very famous Louvres museum and the wonderful Tuileries garden, this institution in located in a magical and historical neighborhood.

After having worked a lot in collaboration with the musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris signing some of their most beautiful exhibitions scenography, Constance Guisset is finally exhibiting in her own right.

Upon this exhibition, she is showing us her own approach of design and her vision of our contemporary World in a very innovative and surprising way. She organized the visit like if it was a home and transformed the museums units into living rooms. For each, she thought about a specific action which is peculiar to this place and brainstormed some keywords around the subject. For instance, the hall is ruled by the action of welcoming.

The exhibition is divided in two parts, Museum Life and The Life of Objects.

In the first part, each room shows traditional art pieces from Middle Age, Renaissance and French Monarchy such as tapestries, furniture, crockeries, wooden friezes and sculptures. Always thinking about the room atmosphere and purpose, Constance Guisset confronted these historical pieces with contemporary objects she made. What is more, she made objects converse with each other revealing design history in a very humorous and educative way. For example, you’ll find in a room a 16^th century canopy bed discussing on sleep history with its nephew, the PLUME bed, one of her own creations which is more of a modulate object. At the end, you’ll have a view on how our expectations of living has evolved upon the centuries.

The second part, still following action words, focuses more on her own creations. More of a succession of rooms and surprises, this part invites the visitor to participate and live the experience of the room atmosphere. First room is about the action Captivating and was transformed into a magical immersive installation with lamps playing with light and shadows. Then you enter the living room where you can have a sit on coaches, chairs or footstools and take some time to read, draw, discuss with people around, all in all to take some time to live in together. Moreover, visitors are invited to open some closets and uncover real contemporary cabinets of curiosities.

For the end of this part you’ll pass by diverse rooms walking through corridors entirely overwhelmed by her studies and researches, offering to you a creative journey inside her universe.

In conclusion, considering that design is the art that reflects its time, Constance Guisset presents you her creative process. More than an exhibition, this is an exclusive experience that we totally recommend. This exhibition is perfect for a family outing and will make dream, laugh and think everyone from any generation.

This exhibition ends on march 11^th, don’t wait until then! For an exclusive and private tour experience, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

To know about Degas :

French painter and sculptor, Degas (1834-1917) is known to be one of the most important representatives of Impressionism. His innovative compositions and movement particular analysis lift him above the others.

He studied at the famous Ecole des Beaux Arts and became a brilliant drawer which will always be specific to his art.

However, whereas his contemporaries where mostly interested about landscapes, Degas was more focusing his paintings on figures.

Fascinated by ballet, Degas has worked a lot about shows, considering them like the perfect exercise for drawing fast movement and spatial composition.

Going behind the scene, Degas will discover, through the dancers’ intimacy, and paint a very interesting and critical contrast between, on the one hand the magic of costumes and performances, and on the other hand, the dancers’ actual social situation.

Exhibition :

Orsay Museum presents you a 20-years-old friendship between a painter and a writer which was for both an engine for creativity. Referring to the book of Paul Valery Degas Danse Dessin, this exhibition offers the opportunity to have a new perspective on the famous painter through the eyes of his friend and famous poet.

Guided by the forgotten book of Paul Valéry, you discover the complementarity of both arts. You can see some quotes illustrating sculptures and paintings, drawings of Valéry’s writing hand by Degas, illustrations for the writer’s book, pictures, …

Travelling through Degas universe, you will have a look on a big variety of techniques and works such as nude sketches, drawings, studies, paintings, sculptures. …

This exhibition helps you understand step by step how from nude sketches, Degas interested himself to gesture, to finally explore the dance universe.

What is mostly interesting about his work is how he represents the posture. Indeed, the contrast between extreme precision of position and material brutality is a very impactful way to show the difference between the spectacle illusion and the dancers hidden situation.

About brutality, you can see on the drawings and paintings flaming color touches contrasting with cold colors. From color to material, the artist energy showcases movement and brings his paintings to life.

© RMN-Grand Palais (Musée d’Orsay) / Hervé Lewandowski

Exhibition hosted at Musée d’Orsay and ends on february 25th, don’t miss it ! If you want a special experience with one of our specialist please click here to have more information.

MoMa’s history:

Founded in 1929 in New York the Museum of Art Moderne, more known under the name of MoMA, is one of the first museums to being dedicated exclusively to the contemporary art and modern. It puts forward the new movements of art such as the cubism and surrealism, as well as architecture and the cinema… MoMa knew to dissociate other museums because it evolved with its time, but especially it knew to be visionary while being the first museum to propose the modern art in all these forms. Thus other museums as the center Georges Pompidou in Paris and Tate Modern in London followed the step while being dedicated to art modern. The success of MoMA was such as it had to change three times of site to be able to expose one plus a large number of works and to accommodate a larger audience, to its last current installation in Manhattan (New York). Currently in work in order to still increase its space of exposure until 2019, there remains nevertheless open to the visitors. Its immense notoriety comes owing to the fact that it has one of the largest collections in the world with more than 150,000 paintings, sculptures, drawings, engravings, photographs, models and art objects, like 22,000 films in any kind. It preserves many famous parts such as: self-portrait with the buckled hair of Frida Kahlo, the Persistence of the memory of Salvador Dalì (these two works are besides present in this exposure to the Foundation Louis Vuitton), Young ladies of Avignon of Pablo Picasso…

MoMA in Paris: 

During its works of expansion MoMA announced a collaboration with the Louis Vuitton Fondation. And, for its first time in France, such place for an exhibition is obviously not harmless!

In fact a selection of 200 pieces of art from its exceptional collection is presented in all the showrooms of the Louis Vuitton Foundation.

Showcased in the amazing architecture of this place, the scenography organized around the 4 main rooms offer a chronological tour redrawing the history and the evolution of the MoMA, inviting visitors to contemplate these contemporary works under all their forms: paintings, sculptures, photos, movies, architecture…

The visit begins at the bottom floor of the Foundation, presenting  the initial acquisitions starting from the creation of the MomA in 1929 and redrawing its evolution until the 50’s.

This room is composed of three parts, all parts hang together in chronological order by highlighting the contemporary movements of these periods.

The first part is dedicated  to the collection of the MoMA of its origins from 1929 until 39; it includes some works such as : (…) all received by donation from private collectors. Thus originally the main works exhibited were paintings and sculptures; then later  the new collections become more and more multidisciplinary, highlighting the new forms of arts such as cinema, photography, architecture and design.

Then we discover the second part, dedicated to the European origins of modernity. We can find there masterpieces such as « Boy leading a Horse » of Picasso and « Palette » of Matisse, etc paying a tribute to the main movements of this period: the cubism, the futurist, the abstract and the surrealism.

The last part finally approaches the American abstraction. Indeed this contradicts the reputation that the MoMA is too much focused on the European art and not enough presenting the American artists and movements. In the years 1940-50, in the post world-war II international context of the Cold War, MoMA championed the first main pictural American movement, the Abstract Expressionist, including the « action painting », highlighting the importance of the artist gesture, endorsed here by Jackson Pollock, and also the « Colorfield painting » which describes the expressive use of color embodied by Mark Rothko.

We pursue the visit up to the next floor to approach, from level 0 until level 2, the thematic « being moderne », a perfect illustration of the innovative will of the MoMA over the years.

Thus the main room in floor 0, as a breakthrough of the abstract expressionist addressed in the previous period , features two new movements: the minimalism and the Pop art.

The first section gathers series, paintings and minimal sculptures, whose approach aims at simplifying the works, providing of simple structure, generally geometric as shown by the use of the grid represented in « The marriage and squalor » created by Frank Stella.

Such approach is also retranscribed in architecture, as for example through the model for the « Lever House », as well as the segments of the « curtain wall » of the United Nations building.

The second section for its part highlights the Pop America of the 60’s. The popular culture of mass is illustrated by this « Pop art » movement, which is essentially visual and repetitive. Included major works of Andy Warhol as « Double Elvis » and « Campbell’s Soups Cans», but also other major artist, like Roy Lichtenstein with « the Drowning girl » reprise of a comic book illustration where he transpose the Pop art style.

The visit continues on the next floor up, which presents two new evolutions : «  Art in action » and « Images and identities ».

The art in action reflects the new artistic forms of the years 60’s and 70’s. Indeed, many protest movements appear, pulling the artists to question themselves on the roles of art and the artist’s engagement in the society. Many of these artists sought to bypass the border of the usual arts, using new materials which are often poor or unusual, and to realize new forms of art such as ephemeral, nonmaterial… These new works are clearly considered in line with the conceptual art.

The second part of this room is devoted to the American scene during the years 80’s and 90’s, reflecting the artists position against the Vietnam War. It is also highlighting the engagement of these artists in the « cultural wars » between conservatives and progressives. Many artists are going to express their opinions on news headlines such as among others gender, racial issues…

The last part of the exhibition at Floor 2 is finally focusing on the art of the 21st  century. The evolutions and all the acquisitions from the last two dec des are presented here : the revolution of the digital technology, opening new fields and prospect of creation in all disciplines such as design, architecture, along with « hybrid art », photography, up to video and « emojis » (Pixel art) …thus breaking all museological codes.

To conclude this wonderful exhibition on a musical note, immerse yourself in the magnificent and unique spatialized adaptation of « the Forty part Motet » from Janet Cardiff, featuring its contemporary creation revisiting a sixteen-century’s polyphonic music.

We are delighted to introduce you to a foretaste of this exhibition through this short film realized for you.

Fondation Louis Vuitton : 8, Avenue du Mahatma Gandhi. Bois de Boulogne – 75116 – Paris

From 11 octobre 2017 to 5 mars 2018.

If you want more details on this exhibition or if you want that we organize you other exclusive visits or experiences, we invite you to contact us

Discover and travel trough the world of Leïla Menchary, artistic director of Hermès.

Maison Hermès is illustrating an authentic traditional family business… In 1837 Thierry Hermès first established the company Hermès, manufacturing high-quality harnesses and bridles for the carriage trade. His son Charles-Émile, installed in 1880 the house in its mythical address 24 rue Faubourg Saint-Honoré, and further developed the company in leather craft for riders, such as bags and other accessories. In years 1910’s his grand son Emile Maurice launched the manufacturing of luxury leather luggage, bags. Later in 1920/1930 he further developed creations in leather bags such as the famous leather « Sac à dépêches » in 1935 (later renamed the « Kelly Bag » after « Grace Kelly ») as well as further diversified with clothing collection, such as the mythical Hermès carrés (square scarves) in 1937. In the fifties Hermès launched the perfume activity highlighted by the world renowned « Eau d’Hermès » in 1951. In the second part of the 20’s Hermès extended its activity intertionally, and became one of the world-wide leading reference as high fashion luxury good manufacturer.

Born in 1928 near of Hammamet in Tunisia, Leïla Menchari, graduated from the Beaux-Arts in Tunis, as well as the École nationale supérieur des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where she was admitted in the painting section at « atelier Narbonne ». Her passion for accessories and fine arts, and especially her friendship with Azzedine Alaïa introduce her to the world of fashion and sewing. This is how Guy Laroche hired her as fashion model after her graduation from les Beaux-Arts de Paris. Then, her meeting with Annie Beaumel marked a turning point in her artistic life. She became  her assistant and her first designer before being nominated in 1978 head of the decoration of Hermès. Since that day she not only managed the windows of Hermès flagship store decoration but also the Comité de coloration de la soie ( silk coloration committee ) at Hermès. Thus 4 times a year she decorated the shop windows, inspired by her dreamlike universes crossing Oriental and Occidental influences , using both luxury and raw materials. Called « Chief Magician » by the profession as an ultimate recognition, Leïla Menchari, from season to season, offers her dreams and unique talent in concocting with magic and Art the shopwindows of Hermès

If you want to visit this exhibition, contact us to make paris yours!

Bellow as a teaser, you can watch our video on this exhibition.

Set in the paved Cour du Commerce-Saint-André in a historic building, including the remains of a 13^th century tower, Un Dimanche a Paris is a unique destination for your culinary senses. A unique space in Paris; only rivalled by its innovative approach to patisseries and most importantly as a chocolatier. Its creator Pierre Cluizel’s love and passion for chocolate is infectious. Chocolate addicts would definitely feel at home in this “concept store”, at the same time restaurant, tea room, shop and cooking school. This paradise dedicated to cocoa in all its forms could convince even the most fervent savoury addicts. One of their most renowned items is their hot chocolate, a drink which often can be heavy, yet Un Dimanche a Paris has managed to create a concoction which one could drink continuously. Through its velvety texture and its ideal blend of bitterness and sweet, there’s no denying that it is the most delicious hot chocolate in Saint Germain des Prés, if not Paris. The patisseries follow the same path of excellence. While mixing tradition and modernity may be understood as a common device in today’s restaurant; Un Dimanche a Paris brilliantly manages to stand out with unique creations. For instance, their ‘Galet’, which translate to ‘pebble’ in English, appears to be a small rock like those found on the French beaches. Yet, when one cracks the white chocolate stone they discover a white chocolate mouse with salted caramel which mixes perfectly with the Genoese on which it rests.

If the many wonderments of the tea room (more accurately the hot chocolate room) and the shop, Un Dimanche a Paris offers cooking classes for both the professional and the novice in the art of chocolate and patisseries making. Their kitchen located above the shop feels like that of a great Parisian apartment, allowing its students to feel immediately at home in a bubble of French culinary arts.

ArtLuxury Experience was fortunate enough to visit this kitchen, which can be seen as a lab of delectable creations, whilst the sous-chef was preparing a white chocolate glaze… the smell was enough to make even the most reluctant students roll up their sleeves and bake. Although if one simply wants to indulge in patisseries and fine chocolates, the tea room is perfect place to do so. The stone walls, which have seen much of Paris’ history, create an intimate and homely atmosphere perfect to enjoy the house’s delicious hot chocolate and their various patisseries.

Passion would be the best word to use to describe Un Dimanche a Paris. It is both the feeling that emanates through this to be institution and its creations, as well as, what you will develop for it after having experienced Un Dimanche a Paris. Beyond the classes and the restaurant, the shop itself is a treasure trove for chocolate lovers, and history lovers at that since it’s located in the building which use to house Marat’s printing press. In the shop you can find most anything related to chocolate, from chocolate bars to chocolate covered spices recommended to be used on savoury dishes like baked salmon. Undoubtedly, it would be easy to spend hours, if not days, at Un Dimanche a Paris.

ArtLuxury Experience would gladly organise a tour around Un Dimanche a Paris for both the chocolate enthusiast and the reluctant savoury devotee. Contact us to make Paris truly yours.

The Biennale Paris, the name is enough to evoke all the finest the world has to offer in the field of decorative arts and jewellery. Founded in 1959 by André Malraux to promote the French arts, it has since been the place where the great collectors and the great houses of art, antique furniture and jewellery meet. Despite the absence, this year, of the great jewellery houses such as Cartier or Van Cleefs and Arpels, the Biennale has not lost its prestige, on the contrary the absence of such names – one might say too well known – gives a more intimate dimension to the event. Under the glass roof of the Grand Palais, antiques cohabit with modern art with a sense of harmony, however it is rare to see a gallery or an antique dealer extending its gaze to both in a significant way. This choice is understandable since each house wants to be the reference of choice in the style that it represents and that each house draws its essence from a distinct epoch. The jewellers, on the contrary, seem to take a certain pleasure in mixing the styles and epochs in their displays. In their eyes a jewel remains a jewel and its beauty remains undeniable.

The house Véronique Bamps thus lead us to discover a necklace which at first, appears as a work created this year by one of the great houses who wants to follow the fashion of stones with unusual colours. However, the jewel does not date from this year, nor from the last century, the necklace was actually worn as early as the 19^th century. Thus, the seemingly unique jewel, is easily paired in the display with a pair of earrings from the Maison Jar, founded in 1978. Yet, classic jewellery does not lose its place despite the wind of renewal that is carrying the Biennale forwards. To this idea one needs but to admire one of the tiaras on show from Alain Pautot to understand that the jewels are timeless and made to be passed down.

The Biennale celebrating the antiques dealers, it would be impossible not to praise them, at least to not acclaim their collections. Whether their style is pop or Louis XVI each collection emphasizes excellence in its domain. Thus the Galerie de la Presidence, which specializes in the masters of the 20^th century, exhibits in a sober setting the works of Raoul Dufy _{(see photo),} Alexander Calder, Paul Signac and many other equally prestigious artists.

While some choose sobriety in their decor, putting a preference on the works as such, others have decided to create real interiors to contextualize their collections. The Gismondi gallery is a superb example with these lacquered panels which creates a jewellery box setting to house and highlight its collection of 17^th and 18^th century art and furniture. However, it must not be supposed that only the galleries which promote more modern art adopt a simple setting for their intriguing works. The Galerie Mendes, a dealer of antique paintings and drawings, shows its works in quasi-darkness which individualises them and gives them the modern appearance in vogue amongst collectors. Finally, the most famous houses such as G. Sarti and the Perrin gallery seem to have evolved with the desire to please less traditional collectors. Such an evolution is felt in their way of exhibiting their works. A more contemporary approach with a certain simplicity that better suits contemporary decorative tastes. In this way, we can feel the emphasis on the living aspect of their collections, which would have their rightful place in prestigious museums as well as in our apartments. Other galleries have chosen to follow the fashion for cabinets of curiosities, often seen in high end boutiques, seeking to astonish visitors.

To conclude, the Biennale Paris 2017 seems to have definitely opened a new chapter in its incredible history. By attempting to modernize the event, all while retaining the essence of the event, the organizers found themselves faced with a risky challenge at which they brilliantly succeeded. Apart from the numerous exhibitors who followed this wave, the Biennale hosted an exhibition of the Barbier-Mueller collections. This collection alone reflects the new face of the Biennale since it contains works by artists such as Élisabeth Louise Vigée Lebrun and Jeff Koons. It also reflects the new Biennale by its international aspect, an trait that is reflected in the variety of exhibitors. Thus about a third of the collections presented are those of foreign galleries. It is on this note of international renewal that the Biennale ends to return next year, since it is now an annual spectacle.

If you wish to find more extraordinary finds and experiences, ArtLuxury Experience would be glad to assist you in your search.

Don’t wait to contact us, make Paris yours.

Quintessence is defined as the ultimate form of refinement and as the very essence of something. ArtLuxury Experience had the pleasure to discover the most prestigious French spirits at the Salon des Spiritieux Français: France Quintessence at the Pavillon Ledoyen. However, whilst one thinks first of the great classics of French alcohols such as cognac, armagnac or calvados; there is a tendency to omit that other spirits can ultimately reach the level of these great French ones. Thus many spirits, most of which find their origins abroad, have been refashioned to fit French tastes by young houses that warrant to be encouraged. The first of these spirits, whose name resonates as the supreme of all English alcohols and is seen as a way of life in England: gin seems to have found its place amongst the French spirits.

The first house that brought to our attention the extensiveness of French alcohols is the Decroix house. Authors of an exceptional organic cognac, Decroix have now begun the challenge that is the production of an organic gin of excellence, both in terms of its organic agricultural origins and its elaborate and complex taste. At the origin of their project, an extraordinary Sichuan pepper plant planted on their farm more than twenty years ago. Its berries with their powerful and spontaneous aroma create a sense of freshness in the mouth, along with hints of pepper, aniseed and lemon; thus giving the basic notes of Decroix’s gin. This gin, which does not resemble any other, never ceases to develop once in the mouth. Furthermore, its flavours don’t weaken with the addition of the traditional tonic, on the contrary they seem to be accentuated by it.

Gin seems to find success among French spirits, to the point where two Parisians decided to create a gin that mixes tradition and eccentricity. The Lord of Barbés house, created in 2016, chose to craft a product whose container is just as refined and artisanal as the content. Thus the gin finds itself encased in a bottle created by Waltersperger master glassmakers (creators for Guerlain, Chanel and numerous prestigious French luxury houses). Its blue bottle, one could even say its blue Klein flask, seems essential to protect the treasure that it holds within. Thus, when one dares to discover it, one is able to taste a gin which mixes sweetness and complexity, as much by its immediate sensations as by those that it leaves in the mouth afterwards. Lord of Barbés by its style, its elaborate taste and its approach to the world of gin emerges to be the Parisian gin par excellence.

After gin, whiskey appears to have found a place of choice at the heart of French spirits. However, one house that caught our attention is Warenghem and its Armorik Whiskey Breton range. This house does not see its production of whiskey as a clash to the Scottish and Irish tradition but as a reflection of the Celtic culture it shares with these two countries. Yet, Armorik differs from any other traditional whiskey through its manufacturing and especially its aging process. The temperatures being more mild in Brittany than in Scotland favours a slightly faster aging of the whiskey. It is the combination of all these elements which makes this whiskey truly unique, an aspect most definitely found in its compound taste and texture.

It is now time to turn to Russia to seek the origins of this spirit which has being re-imagined for the French taste by the Guillotine house. Through them vodka becomes Parisian, and even beyond it becomes indubitably French.  As it is the result of the distillation of grapes extracted exclusively from the Champenois vineyards, a clear nod to French champagne production. It is simply impossible to say which of the two vodkas made by the Guillotine is the smoothest once in the mouth. The first, Guillotine Vodka, is supple and creamy, delicately lining the palate with the citrus notes and slightly fruity hints due to the grape that forms the structural complexity of the spirit. Secondly, Guillotine offers an even more surprising vodka, the Guillotine Heritage. Its woody notes, coupled with spices, vanilla and cinnamon lead this vodka to surprise us, a surprise furthered by its aftertaste which encompasses an umami side with a hint of liquorice and Sichuan pepper.

Amongst these alcohols often inspired by cold and rain, we found a trace of the exoticic with Ti les Rhum de Ced. This house uses an AOC rum from Martinique as its base and then adds the freshest fruits and spices coming directly from the best producers of the world, thus creating a unique technique of macerations in the salt marshes of the Pays de Retz. Through this we get a taste and texture in the mouth that is incomparable to any other rum, the result of its French crafting or the distinct tastes provided by the different blends of fruit and spices.

Lastly a house that caught our attention, not by its approach to adapt a foreign spirit or even a French one but by the fact that it has created a unique and new alcohol. The Maison Saint Germain has created a liqueur based on elderflowers, thought of as a tribute to the art of French aperitif and the Parisian années folles. This last element is evidently reflected in the design of their bottle which has an undoubtable Art Deco design, but also in its taste that brings to mind a certain carelessness and joie de vivre. This idea of ​​slowing down to enjoy a drink seems in contrast to the rapidity necessary to the production of this liquor, since the elderflower can only be harvested for two weeks in the year and all by hand. However, Saint Germain is able to produce a unique product every year, with suave and deep element that carry the palate with its sweet and fruity notes. Much like Paris it is a cosmopolitan spirit; allowing itself to blend perfectly with everything from whiskey through to prosecco passing by gin. The Saint Germain appears as an alcohol that will be talked about as the spirit that reflects Parisian elegance and carefree attitude.

ArtLuxury Experience would be proud to introduce you to other aspects of French culinary culture with its gastronomic experiences.

Dior: Designer of dreams

In 1947, Christian Dior presented his very first collection, and got, a few months later the Fashion Oscar. 70 years later, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris pays tribute to this legendary fashion designer with an exhibition gathering some of the House’s most famous creations.

Dresses like paintings:

While entering the first rooms of the museum, in the dark, visitors discover the world of Christian Dior. Here, the creator is presented first as an artist, holding a gallery with Pierre Cole, a friend. It is only a few years later that he decided to create his own fashion brand, as we know it today. Therefore, Art, and especially painting, was at the heart of his pieces, like the harlequin dress, or others inspired by the Jackson Pollock’s paintings.

Dior’s artwork:

The next rooms bring Dior’s passions to life through all the creations exhibited. The visitors can first admire huge shading off from white to black going through all the colors of the rainbow. In the enlightened showcases, splendid dresses are displayed next to shoes, fragrances, bags, or gloves. As Mr. Dior said, “I want to dress women from head to toe”, and these Colorama rooms are the perfect representation of the creator’s will.

Downstairs, following the exhibition’s path, visitors are plunged into what appears to be a garden, with a pinkish flowered floor as a ceiling. The room looks like an Eden garden in which floral dresses are presented. We learn there that Christian Dior finds flowers “after Women, the best creation on Earth” and uses them on dresses and as patterns for his masterpieces.

Fashion Legacy:

After Mr. Dior’s death in 1958, famous designers took his succession at the head of the artistic creation of the brand. From Yves Saint Laurent back then to Maria Grazia Chiuri today, they all left their mark on the company’s creations. As Carmel Show, editor-in-chief at the Harper’s Bazaar, said in 1947:” My dear Christian, your dresses have such a new look!” Mr. Dior’s successors kept this in mind and paid their tribute to pursue and further develop the fame of the Haute Couture House. We find there some dresses worn by royal families, some more extravagant ones or very sober ones like the suits designed by Mr. Raf Simons.

At the end, the visitors walk through a dark gallery in which, like a timeline, Dior dresses are exposed, from its creation to today. After that, they enter a huge room, in which dresses are mixed with golden pieces for a breathtaking ending, leaving the spectators with eyes full of stars, admiring the greatness of the Dior House.

Indeed, ArtLuxury Experience would be delighted to arrange for you the visit of this exhibition, as well as an exclusive experience with our fashion personal shopper

David Hockney at the Centre Pompidou : figurative art revival

From 21 June to 23 October, the Centre Pompidou houses the greatest retrospective of the work of English painter David Hockney, in collaboration with London’s Tate Britain and the Metropolitan Museum of New York.

An edgy life

Born in 1937 in a modest family in Yorkshire, David developed very early on a passion for art. Since his dad was a conscientious objector during the Second World War, David refused to do his military service and used to address political issues in his earlier works. He spent his life between England and Paris before travelling to the United States where he found his own genuine style, far from the avant-gardism he has been wrongly seeking for as yet.

« The moment you cheat for the sake of beauty, you know you are an artist. » (David Hockney)

Going against his contemporaries, David Hockney has developed his artwork inspired by beauty, rather than politics and provocation. In search for an ideal of minimalism, color and impact, the swimming pool paintings – inspired by his lover Peter Schlesinger – undoubtedly embody this pursuit of beauty. Primary colors and geometrical shapes mingle with the Californian beating sun to create an atmosphere both liberating and sweltering.

An amazing retrospective exhibition

For the first time, the Centre Pompidou gathered both the most grandiose and unknown works of the artist, thanks to a brilliant scenography. Hence, one will have the unique opportunity to admire Hockney’s drawings, especially his minimalist and suggestive portraits. All the periods are represented, from the swimming pools, the landscapes and double portraits, to his work as a photographer. An artwork like an ode to life or, as he himself said : « I think I am greedy, but I am not greedy for money (…), I am greedy for an exciting life. I want it to be exciting all the time, and I get it, actually. I intend to have it exciting until the day I fall over. ».

Do you want to enjoy an exclusive visit of this exhibition in this unique place ? Contact us for more information.

Meet Pierre-Andre Helene, passionate storyteller and Paris lover

Pierre-André Hélène is one of the greatest connoisseurs of Paris’ history and a close partner of ArtLuxury Experience. Recognized for his expertise and his talent as a speaker, he holds some of the exceptional guided tours organized by ArtLuxury Experiences, such as the ones at the Opera Garnier and Païva’s private mansion, and allowed us to privatize Maxim’s museum for exceptional events. We met him for a dinner in an exquisite private place at the heart of Paris, the Cercle de l’Union Interalliée…

Good evening Pierre-André.

Good evening !

To begin, could you introduce yourself in a few words ?

In short, I would say that I am a storyteller. This is what I really enjoy doing – telling beautiful stories so that people who listen can learn things in an entertaining way. And it is extremely rewarding because when I finish telling a long story, people tell me they could have listened to me for hours. It  shows that a good story works for all ages. So if I had to introduce myself I would definitely say that I am a storyteller. From there, I have done lots of things in my life such as guided tours in Paris, writing, acting, tv shows, radio programs for 8 years and leading Maxim’s museum, of course.

What was your career path, from your academic background to the different jobs you practiced ?

I am a really bad example, an example not to follow (laughs). I have quite never used the knowledge I have acquired at the university. I did a Master in Business Law at Assas (ed : a renowned French university) but never used it because I was not interested in law. Then, I have done a Master in History of Art which was, I have to admit, really more interesting. Though I quickly realized that History of Art offers little work opportunity, so the question was therefore : « What could I possibly do ? ».

In this regard, I like to quote Jean d’Ormesson (ed : a French essayist). He willingly tells about the time his father asked him « Boy, what will you do with your life ? » and Jean d’Ormesson answered : « Nothing, of course ! ». This is exactly the answer I would have liked to tell but unfortunately I was not wealthy enough… and nobody ever asked me this question actually (laughs) ! So as I could not afford to do nothing, I thought « What job could give me the impression to do nothing ? ». That is how I started organizing guided tours in Paris, because telling stories sounded easy to me – and actually it took me 15 years to realize it was a genuine talent.

I did this for 17 years, and then one day I met Pierre Cardin completely by chance. He showed me a depot where he stored all kinds of Art Nouveau furniture and artefacts. One could walk on the furniture, literally. It was stored in a disorderly way, with furniture pieces piled one on top of the other. During the visit, I was saying « this piece is very famous, this piece was made by this artist etc. »… and eventually I told him that he had to do something with this treasure. He answered : « That is a fantastic idea, and you are precisely the one in charge of doing it ! ». And this is how I built up Maxim’s art collection, of which I took care for 13 years until Pierre Cardin decided, at the age of 95, to cease this activity.

So I first did guided tours during which I told stories about more than 250 different themes relating to the history of Paris. I also organized more than 70 cultural trips, especially about the life of Toulouse-Lautrec (ed : French painter and poster artist who happens to be Pierre-Andre’s wife ancestor), in Prag, in Vienna… Véronique (ed : Pierre-Andre’s wife) is a singer so we organized a lot of concerts too : we went to the Avignon Festival, we created a tribute concert to French singer and Toulouse-Lautrec’s muse Yvette Guilbert…

I have been a chronicler in the radio program Voix contre oreille (ed : Voice at the ear) for 8 years too. It was a lot of fun because I had no idea of the topic I would have to address before entering the studio. I had 10 minutes to discover it and find something interesting to say relating to both the topic and the history of Paris. A good way to demonstrate my improvisation skills.

I also appeared on a few historical TV shows all around the world. I have done 3 TV shows for the Japanese NHK, 3 others for the BBC and even shows for Al Jazeera, for German TV etc.

Of course I wrote several books – my main book is about France’s major hotels and palaces.

And today ?

Today I have a YouTube channel (ed : L’Histoire sans Secret, or « History without secrets »), I drive around in my Rolls-Royce, and I work on many projects… Voilà !

So you began your career with visits of Paris… according to you, what makes this city so unique ?

It is definitely because in the eyes of the whole world, Paris is the city of love and romance… and the Parisians do not even realize that. This is why everybody comes to Paris. Those who think that Paris remains the top world destination because of its monuments, its History or its gastronomy are all wrong ! If Paris remains the top world destination it is because the city embodies love and romance. In that regard, Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris was very relevant… and I have quite a funny story about him !

I welcomed Woody Allen for 2 hours at Maxim’s. Actually, I welcomed 3 famous film directors at Maxim’s : Stephen Frears, to whom I lent furniture for his movie Chéri, Robert Zemeckis and Woody Allen. And when Woody Allen came at Maxim’s with his crew, I only spoke to the first assistant director because Woody Allen was standing aside, listening to nothing, looking at nothing, probably thinking of something else. After 2 hours they left the place and I noticed this incredible phenomenon. His crew split in two – like the Red Sea in the Ten Commandments – so that Woody Allen could reach the door and tell me the one and only word I would ever hear from his mouth « au revoir » (laughs)…

Did he shoot scenes at Maxim’s ?

Yes, indeed. When Owen Wilson goes back in time to the Belle Epoque (ed : the Golden Age in France, a period from the end of the 19th century to the eve of the First World War), the car takes him to Maxim’s. So it seems like Woody Allen liked the place, eventually… I keep this story for my memoirs (laughs).

What are your favorite places in Paris ?

Without a doubt and in first place, I would say the Opera Garnier. It’s a marvelous place. Professionally, the Opera is great visit, a total fairy tail. The Ghost (ed: of the Opera) is an extraordinary story to tell, by the way based on a true story! So it mixes up magic, reality… It’s fantastic! 

Beyond that, there are plenty of marvelous places in Paris. I certainly have a preference for the “Hôtel de Soubise” which is partly used by the National Archives in the Marais. It is a sumptuous palace built in 1704 with gorgeous inside decorations, with nobody inside. L’Hôtel de Soubise is Versailles but even better, because it is Versailles without hordes of tourists.   

What is the History of this Hotel ?

So this hotel was built between 1704 and 1709 for the Prince and the Princess of Soubise who came from Lorraine to settle in Paris. They bought the old Hotel de Guise and almost totally destroyed it – because we must not forget that “Ancient” doesn’t exist at this time. Only they didn’t have any money. Madame de Soubise, as an intelligent woman, started a relationship with King Louis XIV. And Saint-Simon said : ”Madame de Soubise wore some nights an emerald ornament to indicate to the king that her husband was absent” and he added “Thanks to the husband’s intelligence, and the know-how of his wife, expenses, pensions, benefits and hats, rained all over the house”. We assume that this relationship ended a few moments after the building was finished being paid (laughs)… This is what I should tell in “L’Histoire sans secret” ! (ed: his YouTube Channel)

Talking about historical anecdotes, what is your favorite one from Maxim’s ?

Oh… It is true that there are a lot of them! But maybe the one about the famous benches.

In the main hall, there were leather benches, which stayed there from 1898 when the decoration was made, to 1959. They were back then sixty years old – also let’s say they were extremely « authentic » and it was time to change them (laughs). Hence, workers came to replace them, thinking about nothing. But each time they pulled off one, they heard tinkling on the floor what remained stuck between the back and the bottom of the benches: Louis d’or, rings, diamonds… but the courtesans would not pick them because they knew that the morning after they would have twice more (laughs) !

So what will we find in twenty years when we will move ours ? Some used credit cards, it will be much less funny (laughs) !

What is your definition of luxury ?

As a personal statement, I would say that luxury is the gathering of things that makes my happiness complete. Now a more general definition would be hard to express. Because luxury is not an accumulation of expensive things, but certainly the fact of having the opportunity to have access to exceptional and extraordinary things. It can mean Time, more material things, and so much more…

So to you, what would be the greatest luxury ?

Leaving without caring about where I go, driving my Rolls Royce…

Any future projects ?

I am full of it !

I am preparing two books with an editor from whom I’m still waiting for the answer. I will also write a new play for someone else. In a year and a half, I will go on stage again for a one-man show. I have an exhibition on Sarah Bernhardt in 7 cities in Japan in 2018-2019, and going to Japan makes me so happy because I’ve never been to and it has to be an amazing experience. Here are my projects for the next two years…

Do you have a motto ?

My favorite one is : “Modesty is such an extraordinary quality that, with it you have to be extremely generous and to leave it entirely to the others…” (laughs)

From who is it ?

It is mine of course! It is not even from Sacha Guitry (laughs)

Pierre-André, thank you so much for this interview !

I was delighted to share this moment with you. Thank you very much.

Want to learn more about this incredible storyteller ? Check our offers to visit the Opera Garnier and Païva’s private mansion, with Pierre-André as your guide.

BAC SUCRE

About the festival:

The Bac Sucré festival is an event organized by the 7^th arrondissement town hall every year since 2015, in the “Rue du Bac”. Created by Florence Mazo Koenig, head of Rossini’s Girl, a Paris based PR Company, this initiative, from Tuesday 13^th to Sunday 18^th, gathered all the food shops, especially bakeries and chocolate factories around this street, in the heart of Paris. This event aims at encouraging local businesses, and promoting the local merchants’ expertise. By creating a partnership with almost 20 food stores, Florence has built a major event in the neighborhood, according to the huge success of the two previous editions. On this occasion, chefs, pastry cooks and chocolatiers present some of their most delightful creations to the public, following the annual theme. For this 3^rd year, the Bac Sucré’s theme was “pepper”, and its use not only in cooking, but also and mostly in baking. Olivier Roellinger, the worldwide famous spices specialist, was the event exclusive and vip guest, and was holding a very inspiring conference, hosted in the town hall Grand Salon, focused on “pepper and sugary, paradox or sublimation?”

Salt and Pepper:

Among all these sweets makers, some famous shops were presenting salted creations. For example, Mr. Roger Yvon, whose reputation is not to be made, offered some roasted duck with green pepper in his “Boucherie de Varenne”. This butcher, who served many presidents and prime ministers, created a meal based on meat, cooked like a terrine, including pepper, used to enhance all the subtle tastes of the duck.

Another famous shop, partner of this event, was the cheese dairy, owned by Mrs. Nicole Barthelemy, whose product was a goat cheese sprinkled with a pepper mix from Olivier Roellinger called “pepper de la Luna”. As Mrs. Barthelemy said, pepper is quite difficult to match with cheese, but this one, both sweet and strong, revealed the refinement of her fresh goat cheese.

Subliming pastries:

At the heart of the festival, bakeries were spotlighted for this sweet week. This year’s spicy theme was a true challenge for them, as pepper is not a common ingredient for baking. From a mango and passion fruit cheesecake by the Dalloyau Company to the mini tarte tatin proposed by Angelina, the partners of the event presented a lot of very different cakes and pastries.

New partner this year, the famous cookie maker Laura Todd invited us to taste its ephemeral banana, chocolate and pepper muffin in the BCBG Max Azria boutique. These collaborations between two different shops also represent the Bac Sucré’s spirit. La Cornue Company, another partner of the event, also hosted the creations of Mr. Conticini, a lemon cake and a chocolate “Chou à la crème” in its boutique. Another example of collaboration this year was the baking lesson offered by the Daloyau Company in the Miele Experience Center at the “Rue du Bac”. In this exclusive experience, customers were offered a VIP baking lesson with Mr. Yann Brys, the famous chef of the Dalloyau caterer. During this lesson the chef taught them to make a red fruits, coconut and pepper tart, a fresh dessert that perfectly matches the high temperature of the season.

Source: Bac Sucré

Pepper-infused chocolates:

Major artisans in baking, some famous chocolatiers were present for this new edition of the Bac Sucré. Present at the 2 first festivals, the Jacques Genin chocolate factory was here again, attracting a lot of curious local inhabitants and tourists with various workshops. Every day of the event, the boutique organized some lessons about making your own marshmallows, chocolate bars, and tarts. During the last one, the pastry chef presented a unique recipe in which Sichuan green pepper was infused in the chocolate cream. This chocolate tart with a touch of spice was her exclusive creation for the festival. The chef mentioned “the key is to bring freshness to this tart by infusing such a pepper in the elaboration of this pastry”

Hugo & Victor, another chocolatier in the “Rue du Bac”, also used this infusion technique for its exclusive cake called “Hugo Chocolat”. They organized for the occasion a blind tasting of three different products, and if they were guessed right, the customers were rewarded to taste their ephemeral cake, a chocolate one with some pepper infused in it.

Throughout these two different experiences, the customers were disclosed the secrets of chocolate making, and discovered new tastes, combining chocolate and pepper.

Pepper and sugary, definitely not a Paradox:

This sweet week ended with a conference on “Pepper”, organized by the town hall, with Mr. Roellinger as a special guest holding the conference, together with contribution of every chef who participated to the festival.

During the conference, Mr. Roellinger highlighted the history of the so-called “queen of spices”, how it was discovered and how simple berries were mistaken for pepper. It appears that there are varieties of peppers and even in the same specie, the tastes might be very different. According to him, “pepper is to cooking what the Sun is to the cosmos”, and he points out the fact that pepper is what sublimes meals, and what has been present at the heart of our gastronomy for centuries.

Concerning baking, one usually perceive sugar and fat as comforting tastes. But the point is to use pepper to break these clichés and to enhance the flavors. Mr. Roellinger emphasized that the role of pepper is to highlight the other ingredients but never to give its own taste to pastries. It must be close to the main ingredients in terms of flavors to better go with them. Fauchon, the Parisian caterer, has been the first bakery to use pepper in their cakes in the early 2000. In chocolate factories, pepper is often used for balancing the different cocoa flavors, and only to sublime chocolatiers’ creations.

During this conference, some chocolates, with a pepper infused “ganache” were given to the public to understand the use of pepper in creating chocolate pieces. Mr. Roellinger then convinced the audience that pepper, and more generally spices, were to be used also in baking, and not only cooking. As a conclusion he addressed this message to the audience “ when baking, do not refrain yourself using pepper, be audacious and curious!”

Want to learn more about the partners of the Bac Sucré ? Let your personal shopper be your guide in the Bon Marché and its Grocery, and help you select the gift of your dream !

ArtLuxury Experience : founding member of the Comité Malmaison

ArtLuxury Experience is extremely pleased to announce the creation of the Comité Malmaison (“Malmaison Committee”). With its special partners L’Art et la Manière à la française, La Traction Parisienne and Yves de Bohan, ArtLuxury Experience established this year the Comité Malmaison in order to promote the renowned “French Art de Vivre” all around the world…

Lots of beautiful projects are on their way ! Stay tuned 😉

« 7e art dans le 7e » film festival : discover the Chilean cinema

The 16th edition of the film festival « 7e art dans le 7e » (« seventh art in the 7th arrondissement ») was held in Paris from 6 to 10 June. For this edition, Chile was the country under the spotlight.

Chilean cinema

Chilean cinema is one of the finest in the world. With talented directors such as Alejandro Jodorwosky and Pablo Larrain, Chilean movies are true gems of originality and beauty. During the festival, spectators had the chance to watch movies of all kinds and subjects.

For instance, the opening night of the festival gave the public the opportunity to attend the screening of Pablo Larrain’s movie Neruda, an entertaining portrayal of renowned poet Pablo Neruda. And among the other movies screened during the festival : Jodorowsky’s Dune documentary by Frank Pavich, singer Violeta Parra’s biopic Violeta by Andres Wood and the French comedy The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe by Yves Robert.

After each screening, spectators were allowed to debate with members of the film crew.

Films screened in exclusive places

The festival was a wonderful opportunity to visit some of Paris 7th arrondissement’s most emblematic places. From the Ecole Militaire (Ancient Military School) to Sciences Po Paris school of political sciences and to the gardens of the City Hall, all the screenings took place in exclusive unique places.

ArtLuxury Experience is proud to be located in this flourishing area, just between the Rodin Museum and the Eiffel Tower.

Païva’s town house :

A grandiose mansion at the heart of Paris Champs-Elysées

Païva’s private mansion is a magical place at the heart of Paris. Located on world-famous Champs-Elysées avenue, this sumptuous residence was built in the 19th century by illustrious courtesan Blanche de la Païva. The mansion now houses the « Travellers » , one of Paris’ most coveted private clubs. As an exclusive partner of the club, ArtLuxury Experience made the visit for you.

First, a bit of history…

Esther Lachman was born under modest circumstances in Moscow. At the age of eighteen, she began a long journey across Europe which will lead her to Paris. There, she became one of Europe’s richest and most renowned courtesan. Known to be ambitious, she married a Portuguese marquis to adopt his title and name. From now on, she will be the Marquise of Païva. Thereafter, she seduced Count Guido Henckel von Donnersmarck who provided her the funds she needed to build her famous mansion on the Champs-Elysées avenue – a way to get her own back on her life. Architect Pierre Manguin and illustrious artists were in charge of making this place one of Paris’ finest town houses of the time.

A true architectural gem

Païva’s mansion is a masterpiece of both architecture and interior design of the Second Empire. As an art and exuberance lover, Marquise of Païva was committed to build a true architectural gem. Among the most famous pieces of the mansion one will admire the grand onyx stairway. The lavish Moorish bathroom, with its emblematic bathtub, is also an essential piece of this splendid residence.

Discover this unique confidential place…

Last week, ArtLuxury Experience organized the visit of Païva’s emblematic mansion for a group of 100 Americans from New York’s School of Womanly Arts. They were very impressed by the Marquise’s exceptional personality and delighted to discover this intimate and charming place, thanks to our two enthusiastic and devoted guides.

As Travellers’ exclusive partner, ArtLuxury Experience would be pleased to arrange either an exceptional visit or any kind of professional and private events in this wonderful place. So If you want to have the unique opportunity to experience this secret town house at the heart of Paris, please contact us !

Fetes Galantes in Versailles :

Become a privileged member of the Royal French Court for a night

Have you ever dreamt of being the privileged guest of the King of France for a night ? The Chateau de Versailles made your dream come true on Monday, May 29^th. During the Fetes Galantes, the magical and sumptuous atmosphere of Versailles’ evenings has been recreated for the greater enjoyment of exclusive guests.

An event steeped in History

This year the Fetes Galantes echoed the royal visit of Tsar Peter the Great in Versailles 3 centuries ago – subject of a current exhibition at the Grand Trianon. Art and gardens lover, the Tsar was also an ardent admirer of French culture. His 1717 visit in Versailles established a lasting friendship between France and Russia, based on art, cultural exchange and the same taste for excellence.

The pomp of the period

During this wonderful event, everything has been made to accurately reproduce the fabulous atmosphere of the period. All the guests were specifically requested to appear in all their finery for the occasion. So had the guests the opportunity to wear and admire the most elaborate wigs and hats, the most colored feathers and the most beautifully embroidered gowns of all times.

A buffet was laid on for the guests to enjoy a lavish selection of amuse-bouches : from delicious toasts to a large choice of delicate pastries and Ladurée macarons. The buffet was delicious… and so were the unlimited champagne and great wines.

Besides, the guests had the opportunity to take part in numerous activities. For instance they could play French pool and checkers, attend classical concerts and dance courses, and even having their palm read by a fortune teller. Above all, they had the unique opportunity to visit some parts of the palace that are usually closed to the public. All the elements were thus in place for making this event a very special and entertaining evening.

The Grand Finale

The night finished on a high note with a marvelous ball in the Hall of Mirrors. This memorable ball ended with a firework display which the guests enjoyed from the inside of the Hall. And when the clock struck midnight, everyone left the Château with starry eyes…

ArtLuxury Experience was truly delighted to minutely arrange the participation of some 40 Americans to this exclusive annual fancy ball, from the selection of their costumes and transport facilities to a devoted assistance throughout the evening.

Would you dream of being a lucky guest of the 2018 edition ? Couple or group, we can assist you during the  whole preparation of this evening so that it becomes unforgettable… just feel free to contact us !

« Olga Picasso » exhibition :

Discover the intimacy of painter Pablo Picasso

From 21 March to 3 September 2017, the Musée Picasso – Paris plunges its visitors in the intimacy of iconic Spanish painter Pablo Picasso, thanks to its new « Olga Picasso » exhibition. Through archive images and personal drawings, the museum invites you to discover Olga Khokhlova – Pablo’s first wife and inspiring muse.

The story of a romance

Olga was a dancer at the prestigious Russian ballet – directed by Serge Diaghilev – when she met Picasso in Roma, in the spring of 1917. One year later they married, with Guillaume Apollinaire, Jean Cocteau and Max Jacob as witnesses. In 1921, Olga gave birth to Paul, Pablo’s first child. After ten years of happiness and passion, they finally move away from each other, as Picasso begins an affair with the young Marie-Thérèse Walter. Yet, the couple stay legally married until Olga’s death in 1955.

The exhibition features plenty of portraits of the couple and personal effects. It allows the visitors to discover some of Picasso’s little-known works. The clean and elegant design of these works reveals Pablo’s love for the melancholic dancer he tenderly decided to draw, down to the smallest details. After Paul’s birth, motherhood becomes a key theme in the artist’s work with series of paintings representing Olga and the child.

Olga will remain a recurring figure of Picasso’s work until the end of their turbulent relationship. The gentle and pensive young girl of the first works will give way to a restless and painfully sad face in the latest paintings, marking the conclusion of a passionate relationship.

A wonderful museum

The exhibition is also a good excuse to discover this wonderful museum, in the Marais neighborhood in the heart of Paris. The building is one of the finest mansion houses of the area and is protected as a historic monument since 1968. As one enters the ravishing oval inner courtyard, one immediately feels the magnificence of this museum and its exhibitions…

If you want to visit this fascinating museum filled with history and come to know Picasso’s artwork closely, please contact us !

White Dinner

The 28^th edition of the most so-chic picnic and secret event of France took place on Wednesday, June 8, Place Vendôme, in the luxury heart of Paris! As usual, the participants of the White Dinner, only insiders and privileged persons who received a personal invitation, have been informed at the very last minute in which exceptional venue this famous picnic will take place: at 9:00pm started the “march” of this kind-of exclusive Flashmob for Happy Few!!

After the Champs-Elysées, the Concorde, the Louvre Pyramid and, last year, the gardens of the Palais Royal, the 2016 White Dinner in Paris took place on the Place Vendôme, historical and renowned centre of the Parisian fashionable life and Art de Vivre, including: famous dress designers, boutiques of the most exclusive French and International High Jewelry, and last but not least The Ritz Palace which reopened last Monday!

This year, thanks to its very efficient organization, the White Dinner invited over 7 000 guests to meet up Wednesday evening in Paris, where all participants – upon personal invitation only – must strictly respect the dress-code: all dressed in white, with the greatest decorum (white tableware ….), elegance, and etiquette, recalling the glamour of high French society.

As is traditional, the happy few left soon after midnight, taking up to the last waste to leave the place intact, as if nothing had happened…

Started in Paris in 1988, it is become today an international concept, with the same core values of organizing a secret posh picnic in the most beautiful places of the city! The very successful Dîner en Blanc International is today developed in 70 cities worldwide, and much more are currently applying for organizing this unique and so-chic White Dinner!

Do you want to discover Place Vendome with a private visit of its Jewelers? CONTACT US

The Museum Jacquemart-André, through fifty so prestigious masterpieces, makes a bet of tracing the history of a movement and a decisive time for the history of art:
Impressionism

The exhibition, The impressionists in Normandy, is hosted in the museum Jacquemart-André… So before entering into the Impressionism’s world, we invite you to discover the finest Parisian private art collection near the Champs-Elysées! You will find magnificent decors in this famous Townhouse with its sumptuously decorated rooms! Among all the pieces from this amazing private art collection, you will discover works by Uccello, Mantegna, Botticelli, Tiepolo, Van Dyck, Rembrandt, Fragonard and many others through the winter garden, the private apartments, the grands salons, the library, …

This exhibition highlights Normandy, because there are number of reasons to acknowledge Normandy as the birthplace of Impressionism! Halfway between Paris and London, Normandy has been the open-air studio of many famous painters for over a century. For several decades, Normandy would be the preferred outdoor studio of the Impressionists as Monet, Degas, Renoir, Gauguin, Sisley… who would all experiment with their art here on a constant quest for originality and innovation. You will discover many fantastic artworks, made by the greatest artists of this time, relying always on Nature, the richest source of inspiration for the history of art. These painters have been involved in the creation of an esthetic of light full, color, and the sweetness of the art living. The exhibition focuses mainly on the Nature and the Normandy’s landscapes…

The aim of The impressionists in Normandy is to evoke the decisive role played by Normandy in the emergence of the Impressionist movement, through exchanges between French and British landscape painters. From a historical to a geographic approach, the exhibition then shows how the Normandy landscape, especially the quality of its light, was critical in the attraction that the region had on the Great Impressionist Masters…

You will have the opportunity to admire this exclusive and unique exhibition until July 25^th 2016 at the Museum Jacquemart-André in the heart of Paris. After the visit, we invite you to stop by the café Jacquemart-André in at the entrance of the museum, one of the most beautiful tea houses of Paris!

Musée Jacquemart-André
158 boulevard Haussmann, 75008 Paris

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If you are interest by a guided tour,

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From Past to Nowadays, the video which makes you dream of our Paris

May we invite you to watch this amazing video editing featuring Paris from the 1920s up to now…

ArtLuxury Experience loves to combine tradition and modernity: contact us for an exclusive travel experience in the heart of Paris

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Enjoy our video!

We invite you to the magic of our Paris

“Make Paris yours” – ArtLuxury

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source:
Prelinger Archives/ San Fransisco
Tyler Fairbank/ Light owl productions