Heidi Ellison
Matisse: Like a Novel
The Joy of Color by Matisse
Matisse exhibitions don’t happen very often, and when one comes along, it is a major event. The eagerly awaited show at the Centre Pompidou, “Matisse: Like a Novel,” uses Louis Aragon’s Henri Matisse: Roman (1971) as a kind of framework to … Read More
Le Kigawa Restaurant
Classic French Cuisine Direct from Japan
With a 9 pm curfew in place in Paris, lunch is now the new dinner. And Japanese chefs may just be the new French chefs, judging by the lunch I had yesterday at Le Kigawa. Entering this restaurant in the … Read More
Paris Update Press Review
French Flowers, Food and Fashion
A compendium of good reads about Paris and France in English. French destinations Farming on islands in a marsh by boat is difficult but makes for picturesque scenery and great birdwatching. Gastro Obscura visits an ancient and most unusual site … Read More
Albrecht Altdorfer: Master of the German Renaissance
The Weird, Wonderful World of Altdorfer
An exhibition about a little-known 16th-century German artist doesn’t sound like a barrel of laughs, but “Albrecht Altdorfer: Master of the German Renaissance” at the Louvre turns out to be surprisingly entertaining thanks to the sheer exuberance and diverse talents … Read More
Le Coq et l’Éléphant Restaurant
Dual Affinities
I was attracted to the restaurant Le Coq et l’Éléphant by a laudatory review that roused my curiosity. A number of French chefs are doing interesting things with Asian food these days, and chef/owner Guy Sellier has not only worked … Read More
Paris Update Press Review
The Good, the Bad and the Truly Ugly
A compendium of good reads about Paris and France in English. French museums Now that he can’t visit it because of travel restrictions, writer Adam Gopnik of The New Yorker has written a paean to the Louvre of the mind. … Read More
The Golden Age of Danish Painting
An Island of Calm in a Sea of Romanticism
The brilliance of the Dutch Golden Age is universally known and appreciated, but who gives a thought to the Danish Golden Age? Luckily, Paris’s Petit Palais is educating us with the delightful and comprehensive exhibition, “L’Âge d’Or de la Peinture … Read More
Emily in Paris
Lost in Translation
It’s a classic yet ever-popular tale: a young American realizes her dream of moving to Paris. It’s also a natural for a Netflix series, especially when created by the man who brought us “Sex and the City,” the producer Darren … Read More
Paris Update Press Review
French History: Light and Dark
A compendium of good reads about Paris and France in English. French history France Today has a wonderful, well-researched article on the role played by famous hotels like the Ritz and the Crillon (and lesser-known inns) in French history. Feminism … Read More
Paul Valéry et les Peintres
A Poet Rediscovered Through His Taste in Art
During his lifetime, Paul Valéry (1871-1945) was a revered poet and thinker in France, so much so that in 1925 he was elected to the Académie Française, an honor reserved for the immortal few (its 40 members are referred to … Read More