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Julia Margaret Cameron Paris Exhibit

Taking a cellphone picture of Cameron’s 1868 photo of Hattie Campbell titled “The Echo”

“Capturer la beauté” (Arresting Beauty), the Julia Margaret Cameron exhibit at Paris’ Jeu de Paume, revisits the photography of one of the most important portraitists of the 19th century. Known for her soft-focus closeups of famous Victorians, sensitive portraits of women and children and poetic photo allegories, Cameron ranks among the most important photographers of the 19th century. After establishing herself among London’s cultural elite, Cameron formed her own salon frequented by distinguished Victorians at the seaside village of Freshwater, Isle of Wight. Her timeless and original body of work, created within just over a decade (between 1864 and 1875), is a major milestone marking the beginnings of photography (to January 28, 2024). Continue reading “Julia Margaret Cameron Paris Exhibit”

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Dana Schutz’s “Monde Visible”

Dana Schutz, “Swimming, Smoking, Crying” © 2023 Dana Schutz, courtesy of the artist, CFA Berlin, Thomas Dane Gallery and David Zwirner. Photo: Obispo

One of the most prominent figures in the U.S. new figuration scene, Dana Schutz, is featured with an exhibition “Le Monde Visible” (The Visible World) at the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris (until February 11, 2024). With forty paintings from the early 2000s until today, drawings and recent sculptures it spans her stellar two decade career. Schutz (born 1976) is among the most successful female artists of her generation. Her painting “Elevator” recently sold at Christie’s for $6.5 million. It is the first time that the work of this internationally renowned American artist has been shown on this scale in France. Continue reading “Dana Schutz’s “Monde Visible””

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Christmas Markets, Paris 2023

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La Defense © F. Eckert

Paris’ Christmas markets are among the things that make the holidays special in France. The markets are found all over the city from the Tuilleries Garden to Saint Germain des Pres to the Parvis de la Mairie du 15e. But the biggest (10,000 meters) and most diversified market (200 stalls) is found at Paris’ La Défense. The earliest Christmas markets date back to the late middle ages and have their origin in Germany. The Dresden “Striezelmarkt”  is said to be the oldest Christmas market and was first held in the 15th century. The Bautzen Christmas market and the Vienna “December Market” are supposed to be even older dating back to the 13th century. It was in 1570 when the Christmas market tradition found its way into Alsace, France’s easternmost region bordering Germany.

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Jazzy Dance Rendez Vous

Chanson, tap dance, joie de vivre with a Frenchy jazzy cabaret on a barge on the Seine in central Paris? Sounds good to us! “Parisian Time Step” is the new show –Nov 28, 2023– from tap dancer Ruby Boukabou and singer/ dancer Wendy Lee Taylor (Lido de Paris) with piano by Philippe Petit and Cédric Caullaud on double bass. The show is a fun celebration of Paris, music and tap dance where the audience time travels back to the Belle Epoque with its cheeky polkas; 1930s music halls and smokey 1940s-50s Saint Germain jazz bars. Continue reading “Jazzy Dance Rendez Vous”

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Glow of Paris Exhibited

If you are in Paris this fall, don’t miss Gary Zuercher’s “Glow of Paris” exhibition at the Hotel de Ville. It features a selection of 24 pictures from the photographer’s recent book “The Glow of Paris, The Bridges of Paris at Night” (Oct. 16-Nov. 30, 2023). The outdoor exhibition is free and open to the public 24/7 (Grilles de l’Hotel de Ville, 29, rue de Rivoli, 4eme).

Zuercher’s book, with its stunning black and white photos in the Ansel Adams tradition with stories about Paris’ legendary bridges, is a real gem. Shooting in the large-format film tradition, the photographer brings to life the city’s storied bridges.  “I thought this would be a one-year project” says Zuercher. “In fact, it took more than five years to complete. And in reality it may never end because there is always another inspiring view to be found and photographed.”

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Van Gogh in Auvers-sur-Oise

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Auberge Ravoux © Miyazaki

The exhibition “Van Gogh à Auvers-sur-Oise, les derniers mois” at the Musée d’Orsay (to February 4, 2024 ) is an excellent opportunity to visit the town where the artist made his last paintings.

Vincent van Gogh spent his final days in Auvers-sur-Oise. In this picturesque village located just a short train ride from Paris you can walk in Van Gogh’s footsteps, from his attic room at the Auberge Ravoux to the places where he planted his easel: the church of Auvers, the house of the painter Daubigny, the house of his friend Doctor Gachet, and the field where he painted his last work, “Wheat Field With Crows” (1890). Continue reading “Van Gogh in Auvers-sur-Oise”

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Montmartre Fetes its Wine

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Monmartre © Miyazaki
 

That the Butte’s wine is almost undrinkable has never gotten in the way of what has to be one of this capital’s best annual fests! This year the Fete des Vendanges de Montmartre takes place Oct 11-15, 2023.

As with any good party, this one has something for everybody: it’s part folklore, with fraternal orders from the winegrowing regions of France turning out in traditional robes and quirky hats, and part Arbor Day parade, complete with Harvest Queen, marching bands and street theater. Continue reading “Montmartre Fetes its Wine”