The Perfect Saturday in Paris
11am-5am
11am Paris 1900, Le Petit Palais
M and I began our whirlwind saturday by wandering from the tranquil setting of the rose gardens of Le Petit Palais to the buzz of the hotly anticipated Paris 1900 exhibition; a time - we are reminded - where electricity was the least of the magic on offer. The first room, which took our fancy was Le Myth de la Parisienne. The cultural explosion, the liberation of the classes, the wild hedonism can all be perceived as you are immersed in a blend of film, posters and frivolous paintings. Social changes are highlighted by the way the lower classes are just as involved in fashion as the aristocratic women.
The first room, which took our fancy was Le Myth de la Parisienne. The cultural explosion, the liberation of the classes, the wild hedonism can all be perceived as you are immersed in a blend of film, posters, sculpture and paintings.
We wanted to wrap ourselves in every piece of clothing, from the delicate, diaphanous lace to the flattering feminine silhouettes and the enthralling romance of the ethereal pieces. It made us look down at our dusty, black doc martins in utter despair. There are more swirls of romance in the images of beautiful girls in their 'robes aux dentelles' in Paris par La Nuit as they're swept off their feet by dashing gentlemen in elegant smoking jackets. You are taught that it was not only art, but the changing fashion that held the spotlight at the turn of the century.
If it were me, I would have handpicked a smaller cross section of the work. Exceptionally overhyped, it was like the Le Petit Palais bypassed hiring a curator and simply emptied out their attic for public indulgence. I would really recommend that you go and see Bill Viola, Robert Mapplethorpe or Monumentaux at Grand Palais across the street first and if you STILL have energy after all three, then perhaps it's worth queuing for Paris 1900. The fashion in Le Myth de la Parisienne and the playful history of Les Cocottes in Paris par la nuit are the only stimulating sections.
1pm Josephine, Musee de Luxembourg
"Je sens que je n'étais pas née
pour tant que de grandeur".
M and I's dream girl the Empress Josephine was Napoleon's great love and eventually a popular Queen
of Italy. She was known for her beauty, her graceful movements and her sympathetic personality. As with Marie Antoinette, she maintained a luxurious court whilst being a promoter of the arts; supporting growing textile industries as well as pursuing her passion for jewelry and
it's intricate design. L'ancien
regime was a fashion conscious time where the decorative arts were important and she was at the forefront. If I could live in the life of a historical figure for a day, it would be certainly be that of Josephine or Marie Antoinette.
As she famously said, "l'art et la botanique seront mes occupations." Hailing from Martinique, she also had a passion for travel and
collected artistic, opulent pieces of art and furniture along the way. As a true polymath, she was equally infatuated by the botanical sciences and nature, which is fitting given that Pierre Paul Prud'hon painted her most famous portrait in the garden of Malmaison. But, sadly this blissful life was not to last, because her greatest fears were realised when Napoleon
eventually abandoned his childless wife in favour of the fertile Marie Louise of Austria.
What makes this exhibition so magical is
how truly immersed you feel in the life and loves of this iconic woman. With beautifully
written descriptions for each area and piece, you feel carried through her life
on a chariot of knowledge. Furthermore, what is so unique is the way that the Musee de Luxembourg
goes beyond the endless portraits of Josephine by presenting a range of the possessions she surrounded herself with from intricately sewed lace dresses to her mesmerizing collections of diamonds and
eccentricities from her opulent collections of tea sets to the exact
ring she was given as a coronation gift.
When you trace your finger across the legal record of her baptism, you know that the museum's attention to detail is near perfect. The ambience of the space is heavenly thanks to the
muted grey of the walls and simple gold finish lining the ceiling, which let the colour palettes
of the work speak for themselves. In contrast, at Versailles the day before, we had to
piece together any past memories of films or literature on the subject of our
heroine Marie Antoinette to understand the space, but at Musee de Luxembourg it felt effortless - you couldn't help but
leave feeling like Josephine was an intimate friend.
3pm Francois Huguier
Pince-moi, je reve
Maison Europeenne de la Photographie
Despite the weekend's horrific rainstorms, we naively thought we'd be terribly ambitious and smugly headed off the the grand Mosque of Paris for a more alternative dose of culture. However, as symptomatic of many cultural experiences in Paris, it was closed to visitors for nothing more than a random lunch break and we were quite honestly shooed out of there like rats in the subway. Not very friendly. So, we crossed the Seine to Le Marais for some bargain hunting in my beloved 1euro bins on the infamous Rue de la Verriere after a little more art.
BUT, first we saw Francois Huguier's interpretation of un monde reve (a dream world) through an eclectic blend of quirky portraiture, hard-hitting photojournalism and travel photography at the fabulous Maison Europeene de la Photographie.
From -40 in Siberia to +40 in Africa, her work is magical, but can only be adequately described by actually viewing the works. But, what is key to the retrospective is that she really involves herself in her subject's lives and you can sense that intimate connection in her portraits. We lovers of opulence also adored the building with its seemingly infinite twisting staircase and chandeliers.
Katia Maciel's work also drew us in - especially relaxing beneath this projection. Pure escapism truly comes from the temporal echoes she displays in her work. The beach may be simple, but it's effective - the water running along the floor makes you jump. I've learnt in Paris that I am always most peaceful when I sit in an art gallery surrounded by work and quietly ponder the visual experience. The paradox between the tranquility of sitting idle amongst the hard working art intensifies the atmosphere. Be it, the distant vibrations of music or absolute silence - there is no better place to let yourself slip into a hypnotic, deeper level of relaxation.
5pm Vintage in Le Marais
Anyone who knows me well will be all too aware of my endless collections of vintage velvet jackets, colourful fur coats and most recently a pair of red velvet dungarees (all of which i've picked up in Paris for a euro a piece). Beware that you'll have to eat your weetabix, because it is hard, manual labour sifting through all the boxes in the low lit back rooms (with frustrating blue filters to further reduce sight). But, as they say removing a sense, intensifies the others, so the trick is to search for the texture of the material before the outrageous pattern; velvet, velvet, velvet!
Vintage Bar, 16 Rue de la Verriere
Frip-irium, 2 Rue de la Verriere
The King of Frip, 33 Rue de Sicile
We then went on for frozen yogurt with coconut shavings at the Yogurt Factory behind the Pompidou and sheltered from the rain on a stoop, just savouring the moment. M and I lived together in New York and now that we find ourselves together in Paris once again, frozen yogurt is far more suitable for celebrations than a flute of champagne could ever be.
If you love flicking through coffee table art books or art magazines, Canal St Martin's Artazar will be your dream come true. They sell anything from dusty pink polaroid cameras, to Patti Smith's life work to swirling books of intricate patterns to sew from. I've often found myself sitting cross-legged, buried under copies of Wonderland, Lula and Polka finding hours of pleasure have ticked by. The wonder of Artazar is that like most other establishments lining the Canal it is also a community base and on thursday night they hosted a party with flowing rose for us all to enjoy. Despite the approaching storm, the ambience was so warm and friendly as everyone mingled; from the starving artists coming down from Belleville to the Bobos of Rue Beaurepaire.
9pm Dinner at Café Pinson,
28 Rue du Faubourg Poissonniere
Our navigation led us down Rue Paradis to the vegan dream, Cafe Pinson. This little hotspot is the sister of Le Marais' more casual cafe, but is less crowded and has an ever so sultry atmosphere during the evening. The counter is lined with tempting jars of fresh quinoa granola, vegan peach crumble and chocolate cakes, which make you want to forget about the creative approach to vegan main courses that you trekked there for.
We were terribly well disciplined and shared a little rainbow salad and a soya omelette with grilled tomatoes and the most delicious lime salsa before diving into absolutely exquisite peach crumble and fresh strawberries with their homemade granola and soya yogurt. The food was out of this world, but the highlight was the fact that we were seat in a cosy wrap around sofa in the corner, where we could pull up our feet and eat by candlelight with our bowls in our laps. And, they don't charge you for extra bowls of sauce, tasting granola or even more yogurt - thank you!
1130pm Canal drinks to Le Comptoir General
My final night of living on Canal St Martin before moving to the stiffer quartier of St Germain was dreamy. M and I bought bottles of red wine to perch opposite the colourful shopfronts of Antoine & Lilli. Despite the lack of sunshine, spirits were not dampened and an eclectic group of friends trickled in until there were about 16 of us lounging on the banks, ready to go for a dance and a rum punch at the ghetto museum/speakeasy Le Comptoir General.
If I could recommend one place to go in Paris, it would be this eclectic bar with its gardens, its attics and its curious maze of rooms where you can either sprawl across a velvet sofa, grabs some carribean food at a picnic table, dance in front of a juke box or even get your fro trimmed at the salon. There is no end to the madness and should you tire of the friend you arrived with the atmosphere is like that of a cosy house party, where everyone mingles with everyone, because only the truly curious, adventurous souls dare to enter. Fresh ginger juice cocktails or big bottles of mango punch are the top choice for watering down your nibbles.
2.30am Le Carmen, Pigalle
Again, I have already posted about this Rococo dream of a nightclub in Pigalle, but you absolutely must go, because there is no closer expeierence to have a house party in Versailles or disco-dancing through Buckingham Palace.
No comments:
Post a Comment